Heaven Only Knows
by Sassiersphinx81
Summary: Desmond died, or so he thought. Waking up was one thing, seeing where he was, that was something he was not prepared for.
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, before anyone asks, I am going to still be working on Unconventional Alliance, but I had an idea, and that was put there by one of my reviewers. Shadow Katakura, thank you! I have been rolling this idea around in my dome since your review of said story, for a few days now, and when I get an idea, I will see if it works for me. If it does, then I will post it. If not, then well, it goes into the archives to never see the light of day again. So onward!**

The wind was the first thing he felt as he began to come to from his… Desmond didn't even know what that was. All he knew was is he should be dead. The heat, the burning, and then the darkness. She said there would be no pain. Juno told him it would be quick, but the bitch lied. She outright lied to a dying man, and she knew it. And he knew pain. After living the lives of three of his ancestors, he knew pain. All kinds of pain. The pain of lose, the pain of love, the physical pain of wounds, and mental anguish of doing something against your will.

His fingers brushed the soft grass under the tips as he moved the digits. Should he be able to feel in the afterlife? Should there still be sensation in the burnt flesh that was now his hands? But something was telling him he was alive. Breathing, feeling, thinking. That was not something you should do when you were dead. Your body shut down. Electrical impulses in the brain stopped firing, causing the brain to stop functioning. The heart quit beating, but his hammered in his chest like an air-powered jackhammer going to town on a stubborn piece of concrete. He could feel the grass under his fingers; smell the flowers scent on the breeze and the wind across his face. He, in all rights, was alive.

Did Rebecca, Shaun, and his father come back and get him? Bring him back from the brink? He had no clue, but he was just enjoying laying there. It was actually kind of soft. The bed of grass behind his back that is. This was the first time since he was a kid that he actually remembered doing this. Now, he had done this as Ratonhnhake:ton, or Connor Kenway, his ancestor from the colonial America. He could remember the man lying in the shade of a large oak, or chestnut on warm summer days.

He remember Altair Ibn-La'Ahad laying in the garden of Masyaf, staring at the sky with his young sons, soaking in their childish squeals as they saw something new in each passing cloud. It was the only time he could remember in any of the man's memories that he would smile just for the shear fact that he could and no one would question him about it.

Then he remembered Ezio Auditore lying in the Tuscan sun with Federico at his side. Both boys, with their toes in the nearby river, watching the day pass them lazily by. It was those memories of his brother that kept Ezio going for as long had he did. Kept the memory of his slain family alive in his heart as he butchered his way across the country of Italy for the sake of revenge.

Peace, love, vengeance, hope, grief, strife, and duty. Those were the things that he could keenly remember about the three men that dominated his life for the better part of four and a half months. He had learned everything he could from their trials and tribulations in their lives. He learned to be an assassin from the men, and for what? For him to leave that world so easily to save people that did not even know a secret war was going on around them? For him to unleash an evil onto the world far worse that what man could do alone?

Slowly, as to not hurt his eyes, he finally opened them. The sky was a clear blue, like the sky you could only see near the ocean. The blue of the water reflecting back onto the sky, brightening the color, and damn near making it breathtaking. A color that he could stare at all day, and never grow tired of the sight.

But he knew he did not have all day. He had to figure out a way to stop Juno. To bring peace back to a world that he may have begun the destruction of. It was his job as an assassin. The three men that he learned from did not live and die for him to give up. He carried their blood, their memories, their hopes, dreams, fears, and everything else that made them who they were. He had to make sure that their lasting legacies did not die with him.

Sitting up, he looked around, trying to gather his bearings. He sat on a small cliff that overlooked the water. He could not tell if it was the ocean, a very large lake, or the sea, but he could not see the other side. No buildings were around and no sounds of the city could be heard. Where was he? He scratched his head in wonder. Was he saved by the others, or by something, or someone else?

Looking to his left, his bag sat neatly in the plush grass, along with his hidden blade. It was there, in pristine condition. Just the way it was when he touched the orb. Then he caught sight of his hands. They were whole, slightly tan, and not a damn mark on them. Looking at them from every angle, he could see that they were still just the same as they were when he was alive. But he had already come to realize that he was alive. Or something close.

"What in the hell is going on?" Were the first words that slipped past his lips.

He took in a whiff of the air, and smelled the salt on the wind. Then he knew it was either the ocean or the sea. If that was the case, which one was it? The air was moist, but not overly humid. It felt damn near tropical, but something felt… familiar about it. Something that itched at the back of his brain, wanting ever so much to be remembered, but for the life of him, he couldn't bring it to the surface.

A rumble from his empty stomach brought him back to this reality. He needed food, and bad. He had not eaten much before his last encounter with Juno. His nerves had been fried and his stomach tried to reject anything that passed his lips. So he had settled on some water, and a few saline crackers he had found in the food bin. They were bland, but it was the only thing he didn't want to puke back up. Rebecca blamed his sour stomach on the drugs they fed him in the Animus, but he knew it was more than that. It was his body telling him that the end was coming.

Getting to his feet, his legs wobbled and he felt like his knees would buckle at any moment, but after a few, literally shaky minutes, he took a few tentative steps. Relief washed over him as the strength began to come back into his lower limbs. Flexing his hands, he was still in marvel of the clear skin on the digits. His impulsive tattoo still ran up his left forearm. An intricate medley of tribal lines and ironically, the assassins' symbol had made its way into the design, but he was happy with the way it had turned out.

Desmond knelt down, slipping the hidden blade into the bag, then sliding it over his head and threading his arm through the strap. Once the wide canvas strap was situated comfortably between his pectorals, he decided on a direction. Setting out, he wished he had his MP3 player in the bag, but that sadly, was left on the crate next to Rebecca's station. It had died on the way back from his first and last trip to the Davenport Homestead as himself. Sure he had made hundreds, if not thousands, of trips there as Connor, but only one as Desmond Miles.

He watched the sun drift across the blue sky as he made his way through the countryside. Off in the distance he could hear the call of a horse, making him think that he was near a farm. _**Maybe they can give me directions to a city**_; he thought to himself as he let his sensitive ears pick up on the sounds of the horse. It was coming from the east and so he turned his exhausted body in that general direction.

It was at least another fifteen minutes until he saw the peak of a home in the distance. It was enough to energize his already tired body. The house got closer and he could feel himself begin to smile and his legs began to jog on their own. It was a relief to know he was not the only one out here. Maybe they would be able to give him a small bite to eat because his stomach was growling louder than a 747 on takeoff. The muscles clamped around the empty organ, making its dislike of being completely empty known to him.

Desmond spied someone working the field. The horses hooked to ancient farm equipment, plowing the fields with their master behind them, directing their movements. The one thing that popped into his mind was he was near an Amish commune. That would explain the lack of car noises, and the old-fashion farm work.

Vaulting over the fence with ease, he began to wave him hands. "Hey!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

The man behind the plow brought the beasts to a stop, and looked in his direction. "_Posso aiutarla?"_

_**Huh?**_ Desmond thought. The man cocked a brow, and wiped the sweat from his weathered forehead. He was clearly confused, but the words sounded vaguely familiar.

"_Parli italiano?"_ The man asked him, and the figurative light bulb went off above his head.

Pulling on the Italian he knew from his time as Ezio, he nodded. "_Conosco un po'."_ He made a gesture with his hand to show the man he knew a little bit. The Animus had done most of the translating for him, except a few stray words here and there, but he knew just enough to put a few simple phrases together. "_Dove e la citta pui vicina?"_

The older man nodded. "_Monteriggioni e un cammino a nord ora, signore."_

_**Oh no, not there,**_ he sighed to himself, but he knew if he got there, he would be able to get to other places. Always go somewhere you are familiar with if you are lost. At least that was what he always heard. Hell, the last ten years of his life he had been trying to get lost and stay that way. _**And look where that landed you, moron.**_ The little voice in his head sounded strangely like Shaun.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nodded his head, and faked a smile. "_Grazie signore_." He dare not ask for food, because now his stomach was in a tight knot.

Turning from the man, he headed in a northerly direction. Now he knew where he was, and what country. Italy was not one of the places he wanted to be. This was where they first brought him after he had been captured by the Templars, AKA Abstergo Industries. It if wasn't for Lucy, he would still be in there, reliving who knows' memories, or most likely painting the walls of his room red with his own blood. That was not a memory he wanted to revisit.

Shaking the depressing thoughts from his mind, Desmond focused on the steps that his feet were making. Left, right, left, right. It was in time. The left one fell, then the right rose up. The task was boring, mundane, but it kept his mind off of his last time here. That was how he wanted to keep it.

Desmond wanted nothing more than to stop and rest, but he knew if he did that, there would be no getting up and moving again. His legs were tired, and his mind began to wander once more. The rise to his left looked inviting for a rest under the shady trees that graced the hillside. He could just take a small nap. An hour or two, then continue on. It sounded so tempting, but yet, he knew he had to keep moving.

And so he trudged on. One foot in front of the other, keeping him moving towards the stone and mortar walls that his eyes caught in the distance. It was not far. Maybe a half hour at most. He could rest once he was safely in the walls. Then he could call someone to let them know he was alive and to find a way to get him.

But his thoughts were soon taken from him. A sound caught his hearing once more, and made his now severely empty stomach drop. It was the sound of steel against steel. The sound that haunted his dreams some nights from his time as Altair, then Ezio and lastly Connor.

For what possessed him to run towards the sound, he had no clue, but his body responded, and he ran. Up the small incline and into the trees, the clashing of steel got louder as his shoes ate up the distance. His breathing was labored, but he kept pushing on. Sliding the pack around as he dodged trees, Desmond pulled out the one piece of equipment he had on him, and slipped the straps over his wrist.

How he managed to tighten it as he ran full tilt and not run into something was beyond him, but he did. Having it there was like finding a missing piece of what he was. Who he was. He was an assassin. This was what he was born to do. This was what he was made for. He was created to help people, to save them in their hour of need. To be something more than just a damn bartender, who shoved his head in a sandbox and prayed the world would overlook him. He came from a long line of men that wanted to see the world the way it should be, and he, oh he knew now, he was no different.

Not bothering with pleasantries, he let his body slide down the slope, and right into the fray. Flicking the blade out, he opened himself up to the ancient blood that flowed through him and the strange sixth sense that was called Eagle Vision. Any person that was incased in red was a target. Blue was a friendly and a potential innocent. _Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent._ The first tenet of the Assassin Order.

He found the first red, and swiftly rammed his blade into the man's chest. Feeling the blade sink into the flesh was a slightly new experience for him. The warm life-giving liquid washing over his hand was disconcerting, but he knew that feeling. The way his enemy fell to the blade of the assassin. No, that was Altair's memories. He was Desmond Miles.

Pulling back, he felt a slight tug on the blade as the body that was still attached to it dislodge itself from the slender silver blade, and fall to the ground, sightless eyes staring off into the distance beyond the veil. Spinning around, he saw another target, and rushed them, laying open their exposed throat with that severely sharp blade that had been his constant companion for years.

No, that was Ezio's thoughts. Desmond had only had it for three months at best. He received it when the first safe house had come under attack from Abstergo agents hell bent on killing the four of them.

Feeling the wind from an incoming blade, he rolled to the right, reaching for his sword or tomahawk that he always had at his side. Only to find that they were missing. No, he never had them. Connor was the one that carried those types of weapons. Desmond only had his hidden blade. Given to him by Lucy Stillman, who got it from the assassins, who passed them on down the line from when Ezio had retired. He was Desmond Miles, and he was the assassin this time. Not Altair. Not Ezio. Not Ratonhnhake:ton. He was just Desmond, and no one else.

The bloodlust drained from him as he killed the last red in his reach. The others fled, claiming they would get their revenge one day. Yelling a few obscenities he could recall from his days as Ezio, it made him smile.

"Thank you for your assistance, signore."

It was as if his head began to do the translating for him. _**That would have been helpful an hour ago**_, he thought to himself with a scowl. Turning around, he looked into a set of brown eyes that looked remarkably like the set that was in his own head. Damn near the same scar he had received in a bar fight two years previous.

Swallowing the dryness in his throat, Desmond nodded. "No problem."

"My name is Ezio Auditore, and I wish to thank you for…"

And that was all she wrote. Once the name Ezio Auditore left the scarred lips in front of him, Desmond felt his eyes roll back into his head, but nothing else.

**Posso aiutarla? – Can I help you?**

**Parli italiano? – Do you speak Italian?**

**Conosco un po' – I know a little**

**Dove e la citta pui vicina? – Where is the nearest town?**

**Monteriggioni e un cammino a nord ora, signore – Monteriggioni is an hour walk north, sir**

**Grazie signore – Thank you, sir**

**Alright, I need to know what you think. There are plenty of stories out there of Des going back in time to meet Ezio, but it is always the older Ezio. You know like from AC: Brotherhood or Revelations. I wanted to be before Ezio had ever heard of the name Desmond. Hopefully I kind of kept him in character and didn't go too OOC with him. The bleed still happens but he can control it in some ways. Let me know what you think. The name could change if I can come up with a better one.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! I didn't think this story would be as popular as it has become! In just one day, it has had four views, ten favorites and thirteen followers! I am so stoked. Now I see who's everyone's favorite assassin is. *Laughs* I am glad everyone is enjoying this. Please, do not hesitate to hit that button at the bottom and let me know what you think. *Hugs for everyone* With you guys and gals, I would never keep doing this.**

Desmond head swam with messed up thoughts and half formed ideas as he came back, again, to the world of the living. He at least knew where he was at this time. He was now lying in a bed in the Villa Auditore in the heart of Monteriggioni. The year was something that escaped him. It had to be shortly after Ezio, Maria, and Claudia fled Florence as the hunt for the remaining Auditore family members continued. He had just killed Uberto Alberti, and the year? He put the heel of his hand against his cool forehead, and screwed his eyes shut.

Damn, he should know this. 14…Shit! 1476! The year was 1476 and that was the year everything changed for Ezio. That was when he began his training as an assassin. He had been shoved, by who knows what, all the way back to 1476, and for what? He had no clue as to why he was here.

Opening his eyes, and looking around, he felt a panic attack coming on. He shouldn't be here. This was not his time. It had to be some elaborate dream concocted by his mind to show him that everything was alright. That he would be fine in the afterlife. That…that… and what he was thinking wasn't even making sense.

Taking a few deep breaths. In through the nose, and out through the mouth. _In with the good, and out with the bad_, he thought to himself as he did the breathing like Lucy had showed him when the visions from the Aminus were becoming too much for him to take. Center yourself and find who you are amidst the sea of memories that raged in his mind. He was Desmond Miles, bartender, and now, Assassin. He was destined to save the world, or to end it. He was humanities' last hope to stop Juno and her corruption. He was… and he looked around, sitting in a villa in the middle of Italy that was owned by his ancestors. Yeah, he was definitely losing his mind.

"Ah I see you have come back to us, signore."

Swiveling his head, he watched Ezio walk into the room, half cape fluttering behind him, feet barely making a sound on the marble flooring. How Desmond wished he could walk with that much grace. He was a lumbering ox compared to the fluid movements of the Italian.

"Ye…yeah. Thank you for helping me." He took himself from the bed, but grabbed the bedpost as his head grew light from standing too quickly.

"Maybe you should lie down once more. You still do not look well." Ezio took a step forward, but Desmond held up a hand.

"I'm fine. Really. Just stood too fast is all that happened." That and the lack of food would make any man weak. He had burned up the last of his strength in the fight. You know, the one he should have stayed out of, but that mind set on helping someone who was in trouble came into play and he could not help but try and save them.

Ezio stood a few feet away, guarded brown eyes watching him, and Desmond knew what was going on in the mind of the younger man. He was trying to figure out if he was friend of foe. He had been betrayed by a man that he thought was a family friend. Now, he was wary of anyone. Desmond knew it would be a few years till until the Italian would begin to trust fully again.

"Would you like something to eat? It is the least I can do for you helping with Vieri."

Oh the mention of food was enough to set off the vicious beast that resided in his stomach at that time. Ezio must have heard the sound, because the young Florentine noble chuckled. "I take it that you are hungry. Come, I will make sure you are fed."

"Thanks." Desmond released the bedpost and followed behind Ezio, taking care not to bump into anything on his way through the villa. It looked just the same as his memories of this place. No, they were the lasting memories of the man in front of him. They were not his, or were they now? He could never decide. Memories are what you remember seeing, and doing. He had relived so many parts of Ezio's actual life that could they be classified as his own now?

He pressed the questions down for now. That was something he could dwell on at a later time, but right now, he had to get his head in the game, find out what happened to send him here, and for him get back to where he was supposed to be.

*/*/*/*/*/*

Ezio glanced over his shoulder at the man behind him. There was something… different about the way the man moved, walked, talked that made him think that this man was very different than any person he would ever meet. As they entered the kitchen area, he gestured to the small table that was in the corner. Mario was stirring something in a large pot, and upon their entrance, turned his head.

"Ah I see our guest has awaken, Nepote." Mario gave him a lopsided grin. Then he looked at the man that had taken a seat. "Welcome to Monteriggioni. I am Mario Auditore, and this is my nephew, Ezio. I want to thank you for your assistance in that small skirmish yesterday."

The other man rubbed the back of his neck. "It was not a problem. I don't like to see people get hurt."

Ezio leaned against the cold stone of the cooking oven. "What is your name? That way we will not have to keep addressing you as signore."

That got a chuckle out of him. "Miles."

"Miles." Ezio tested out the name, and nodded. "Thank you once more for your help." He had a feeling that was not his full name, but it would do for now. Maybe they both had to learn to trust each other before he would learn who this man really was.

Mario ladled whatever he was cooking into a bowl, and sat it in front of Miles. "This should give you the pick me up you need. It looks as if you have not a decent meal in some time."

Something of a shadow passed the man's face. "You could say that." A ghost of a blush crossed Miles' cheeks as he rubbed the back of his short cropped head. "Thank you."

"Then eat. We will check on you in a bit." Mario turned on his heels. "Come Nepote, let our guest eat in peace and we shall talk more once he has a full belly."

Ezio nodded and followed behind his uncle until they came to his study. "You want to say something, do you not?" He leaned against the desk and watched his uncle.

Mario nodded and began to pace the floor. "I would like you find out more about this man. It is not that I do not trust him. I believe, from the way he fights and the blade he had on him," and he pointed to the weapon on his desk, "that he may be an Assassin like yourself."

He had not even thought about that. He had been curious on the movements of Miles in the fight, as he had never seen anyone move in the way he had in the fight. "You believe he may be an assassin?" Mario nodded. "Then why have you not heard of him?"

That got the older man to laugh. "Oh Ezio, you have much to learn. The Assassins are everywhere! Not just here in Italy, but all over the known world. I could not even begin to tell you half of the assassins. That would have been Giovanni. He always had a head for remembering things that I could not."

At mention of his father's name, his stomach twisted and regret began to set in. He should have been faster, and then they would still be here with him. "Uncle, do you think I could have saved them?" He looked down at the floor.

"Huh?" Mario turned his attention to him.

"My father and brothers. Do you think I ever had a chance to save them?" Ezio closed his eyes and felt the tears come, but he had to be strong. He had to be strong for Claudia and his mother. They needed him. He was all they had, except for Mario. They were the last of the family.

"Ezio, they were betrayed. We all were, but they will not be forgotten. If Giovanni had not seen what was to come, how could you have? You are but a boy still and not a well-trained one at that." Mario was trying to make him feel better, but it was not helping.

He should have been faster, stronger. He should have been able to save them. Just the thought of his family hanging there in the gallows made him want to throw up. To scream at the injustice that had been done to the Auditore family and fell the ones responsible, but he would make sure the ones that had brought this would pay. If he had to go to the ends of the world, he would.

"Uncle, can you train me more? That way I can be prepared for anything that comes my way. Do not want to fail again." Ezio stood up straight and held his head high. He would honor their memories. Let them keep him strong in his hour of need.

Mario just nodded. "I will see to it, but I believe you should go check on Miles. Make sure he does not need anything else. Maybe take him on a tour of the village."

Ezio knew what he wanted. "You would like me to befriend him, and find out what he is doing here?"

The laugh once more. "You are a smart boy, Nepote. I know you will do well." And with that, Mario exited out of the study from the side door, leaving him there alone with his thoughts.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Desmond pushed the now empty bowl across the table. He would have washed it, but there was no running water, and it would seem strange he knew where everything was when this should have been his first time here. Well if you want to get technical, this was his first time here, in this time, and being in his own body and mind. So, yeah, this was a first for him.

His eyes took in every nook and cranny of the large kitchen area. He knew what it looked like from his time as Ezio, but not as Desmond. It was still unsettling to know that he was here, in the past, in the presence of his ancestor. The one that he had followed, learned what he knew from. If the others knew what he was doing now, they would really think he was insane. Maybe, he was sent here by some unknown force to learn more. To combat the forces that was to come, or had been unleashed in his time.

But that was a ways off. He could maybe take a small break from that. Maybe, just maybe, relax. Not be so wound like he was all the time. Come on, the release of Juno was not going to happen for another; he did the quick math, five hundred and thirty-six years. Give or take a few months.

Taking to his feet, he stretched and felt a few things pull and pop. A sigh escaped him, and a content smile overtook his face. His belly was full, and he was relatively safe.

"I see that you are done."

Desmond nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard Ezio's voice from behind him. Spinning around, he looked at the smirk on the younger man's face. "Yeah, thank you for the food."

"You do not have to keep thanking me, Miles. It was the least I could do for you helping me protect the last of my family. I feel I still owe you for your sacrifice." The Italian inclined his head.

Desmond waved him off. "No, you don't owe me anything, Ezio. I am just glad in could help, but I do have a question."

"Ask, and I will try and answer it." Ezio stood there, arms at his side.

"My blade. Do you know where it is?" It was the only thing that he had not seen when he woke up. He did not want to lose the only protection he had in this day and age. Hell, he knew that there were men out there that would lay open his throat just in the hopes that he had something they could use or sell.

Ezio pulled it out of the pouch at his side. "Do you mean this?" He held it out and Desmond took it.

Placing it back on his left wrist, and tightened it down, he felt a little better. The blade had become part of him, like breathing, in such a short time that any small absences of the blade made him feel different. "Thank you once more."

"Again, you do not have to keep thanking me." A small chuckle came from him. "Come. I will show you around the village. Maybe you can get yourself some different clothing. I have never seen clothing such as what you are wearing now."

Looking down at his white t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and white running shoes, he could see how they would be strange to Ezio. His hoodie was back in the room he woke up in, in his bag. It had become too hot yesterday to keep it on. Well to him, the clothing and robes that Ezio wore would be strange to him of he had not seen them before. "They are normal where I'm from, but I guess I can see why you'd say that."

Turning on the heels of his boots, Ezio began to walk out of the room, with Desmond right behind him. "What would you like to see first, Miles?"

Desmond shrugged. "I don't care. I'm not that picky. It's kind of nice to just take a walk and not have everyone yelling at me to get back inside."

Ezio looked over his shoulder at him, eyebrow peaked and he wanted to do a face palm. He had to open his mouth. Trying to think of something, anything on the fly was hard, so he kind of went with a half-truth. "My parents were over protective and didn't let me out much. Thought everyone was out to kill them. I ran away when I was younger."

It must have worked, because Ezio nodded. "My family was not that way. I was allowed to all over Firenze at my leisure."

Desmond, in two strides, was at the side of Ezio. "Must have been nice. I wasn't allowed to leave the farm for any reason. I finally got sick of it and ran. Never looked back." That was the complete truth. He had never looked back once he took off. Yeah, he had thought about his mother, and how she was doing, but never about his father. It wasn't until this whole mess with Abstergo started that William's name even passed through his brain. "Maybe one day I might go back and see my mom, but it won't be any time soon."

"Where are you from? If I may ask?" They turned at the door and made their way around the side of the villa.

"Far from here." He told cryptically. Christopher Columbus had already set out and landed in the Caribbean, but it would not be for another hundred years that the white folk would begin to settle on the continent that he called home. The Assassins would not be there until the early part of the 1700's. "I have no idea how to get home."

Stopping near a rather large tree that grew behind the villa, Ezio sat on the stone bench. "How did you get here?"

That was something he could say honestly. "I don't know. I woke up here yesterday with no memories on how I got here." He could only remember touching the orb, the smell of burning flesh, the feel of falling, and then waking up on the coast. He shook his head and leaned against the tree, wishing for his hoodie and the deep hood. That way Ezio could not see the confusion on his face.

"I have one more question." Ezio looked at him.

When did he begin to ask question about everything? All Desmond could remember was he would kill first then ask questions later. Mentally snapping his fingers, he sighed. No, that was the old Altair, before Solomon's Temple and the hunt for the Templar leaders. Ezio was the one that questioned everything. Damn. "Go head."

"Are you an assassin?" The Italian asked.

"Yeah, I guess you could call me that now." Desmond pushed off the tree. "Trained since I was little, but ran from it when I was sixteen. Went back to my training later when I was kind of found by the Templars."

Ezio nodded. "I see. Maybe you can help me then."

His eyes about came out of his head. The great Ezio Auditore was asking for his help?! This was the man that he learned from, but right now, he didn't know really the first thing about the Assassins. Reining himself in from shock, Desmond cleared his throat. "Sure." He squeaked, and cleared his throat. "Sure. I guess I could do that. I mean, I'm kind of stuck here. Might as well give myself something to do."

Ezio stood up, a wide smile plastered on his face. "Excellent! We can begin training in the morning!"

Training?! In the morning?! What the hell had he got himself into?

**Poor, poor Desmond! He seems to just be getting sucked into all the bullshit everywhere he goes! I am going to be going to weekly updates on my stories, that way I don't get burned out like I have in the past. Again, thank you for liking the story people. **


	3. Chapter 3

Desmond slinked through the villa in the dead of night, the small flashlight he had in his bag securely in his hand. Everything that would out him as a time traveler had been hidden around his room. It had been three weeks since he arrived at Monteriggioni, and no one was none the wiser as to whom he really was.

A noise stopped him in his tracks, and he clicked off the small light. Footsteps passed near his hiding place, and he watched Mario stop at the exit to the study, yawn and stretch, then continue on his way to bed. Desmond let out the breath that we was holding, and continued on to his destination. He did not know why, but he was being called to the Sanctuary. Ezio did not know about the place yet. He did not find out about it until after the assassination of Vieri de' Pazzi.

He felt bad for not revealing who he really was to the young man that was fast becoming his only friend in this time, but he could not change what was to come. Ezio had to do what needed to be done for his own timeline to come to pass.

As he entered the study, he could not help but stop by the Codex wall. Altair had been the first he connected with. The first he had become, and the last page made him shiver. The Syrian talked about death and being the final end. Nothing after, but Desmond knew he himself had died when he touched the orb to release Juno, but yet here he stood, in the Villa Auditore in the year 1476.

His calloused fingers brushed the yellowed page that held Altair's final written words. It would not be another almost forty years until Ezio found all the keys to open the library under the ruins of Masyaf, and discover the remains of their mutual ancestor. That was the hardest memory to relive, because honestly, Desmond had looked up to the ancient man. He had never wanted to see the remains of the person that he knew was dead, but in his mind, he was damn near immortal. Just as Ezio was to him.

Stepping away from the wall, he walked over to the bookshelf, looked around to see that he was alone, grabbed the book and watched the shelf slide back on its tracks, revealing the secrets that lay behind. Armed with the small light, he made his way to the center of the Sanctuary, and looked upon the statues that lay before him.

He approached Altair's statue carefully. "So Old Man, what would you do in my shoes, huh? Tell them who you were? Or would you hide the best you could?"

Putting his back against the metal gate, he slid to his rear, and hung his head. "I don't know what I am going to do. If I mess one thing up, I will be changing history. Hell, my presence here could be changing it right now. I mean, Ezio had to do this alone, and now, I am right here next to him. Watching him, in person, what I watched him do in the Aminus. It's not something I thought I would ever be doing in real life."

A sigh escaped him as he let his head lull back and come to rest against the cold metal behind him. "I should be, in all rights, dead. My body sitting by that damn orb that took it from me, and yet," He looked at the ceiling, "I'm here. I'm breathing, fighting, and watching history unfold before my very eyes. Some mornings I wake up, still thinking that I'm in a dream. That none of this is real. That I'm still sitting in the Animus, drooling on myself and done lost my fucking mind."

Nothing but silence greeted his ears. He didn't think he would get an answer. There was no one there with him but his thoughts. Just the same as it had always been his whole life. He really had no one to talk to, ever. Yeah, Rebecca, Shaun and Lucy had become his friends in the short time he had known them, but even with them; he was a means to an end. A tool against the Templars and the war. It was because of who he was that he was drawn into a war he never wanted to be a part of. And now, he was dead smack in the middle of it. Knowing that this place was soundproof, he just decided to let it all go, and he screamed.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Sunlight awoke Desmond the next morning, raising him from his dreamless and unfulfilling sleep. His brown eyes fluttered open and he glanced around. _Yep, still here_, he thought with a grimace.

Pulling himself from the warmth of the blanket, he grabbed his clothes, dressed quickly and headed outside. Mario stood there at the top of the training ring, watching the sun rise up over the walls of the small village. Desmond walked up next to him.

"Ah, I see you have risen before my nipote." Mario did not turn his head, but Desmond knew the man was watching him from the corner of his good eye.

"Yeah, just kind of woke up. Don't sleep well. Never have." He yawned and let his eyes drift over the town.

"So I see. You usually wait for Ezio to appear before you come out yourself, but not today. What has changed, Miles?" The older assassin finally looked at him.

He shrugged. "Just didn't want to stay in my room is all."

Chuckling a bit, Mario just shook his head slightly. "I can tell a lie better than most, boy, and you are not the best at lying. You may be able to convince my nephew that you are merely an assassin from a far-away land, but you cannot con me. I have seen much and been to many places, and yet I have never encountered someone that speaks the way you do."

"What do you want to know, Mario?" He finally asked. He was tired of the cat and mouse games honestly. He was the mouse, trying to hide from the cat, which in this case, was history.

"Who are you? What is your real name?"

That was what he feared the man would ask. Ezio would hear his first name when he met Minerva under the Vatican later in life, but that was not for another twenty-three years. "My name is Miles, but that is my last name. It's kind of complicated to explain where I came from, or who I am when I don't even know myself."

Mario had always been a sharp one, because he decided to drop the subject. "Very well Miles. Every man becomes confused in their life, trying to figure out who they really are. I did not always want to be an assassin, but yet, here I am, trying to get my nipote to continue on what his father has left behind. The boy is stubborn."

"He'll come around, just give him time." Yeah, like a few more days, Desmond silently added. The assassination of Vieri was coming up then, and that was the turning point in Ezio's training. That was when he decided to become the assassin he would continue to be until he discovers the final resting place of Altair.

"I hope you are right, Miles." Mario sighed and turned once more to see the golden orb of the sun peak over the walls of Monteriggioni.

Both of them heard Ezio approach. "Morning sleepyhead." Desmond called over his shoulder, not bothering to turn around.

"How did you…?" Ezio came to a stop next to them, and then shook his head. "I will never understand how you and Uncle can know who is walking up just by their footfalls."

Mario laughed. "You will learn in time. Now, shall we continue on with your training?"

Groans escaped both men. This was not the part of the day that they even looked for.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Training was a brutal affair that morning. Mario was tougher than normal on them and his arms felt like lead weights from all the repartitions they were made to perform. All he wanted to do was find a soft bed and possibly a bite to eat. It did not have to be in that order, but that was all he wanted.

"Nipote, I would like a word with you." Mario called to him as he and Miles exited the ring. Miles nodded and continued on into the villa while Ezio looked at his uncle. "Have you given more thought on staying?"

"I have." Ezio declared and he watched his uncle's eyes light up. "I am going to take my family and move on. I have booked passage on a boat for Spain in three days."

Then the light was gone. "I thought we were doing this so you could continue your father's work."

"No Uncle, I must take my family to somewhere where they will be safe." He shook his head. Why could he not see that? He was trying to do what was best for his family. For all of them. In Spain, the Pazzi family could not hurt them any longer. They could be free.

"They are safe here, Ezio. Can you not see that?" Mario nearly yelled. "What about what your father started? Are you just going to let that go?"

Ezio bit back. "And look where it got him, Uncle. He is dead, along with my brothers. I will take Mother and Claudia where they cannot be hurt."

"Fine!" The older man roared. "Good luck and may God watch over you!" With that, he stormed off.

He watched him go, and could not understand why his uncle was so mad about him wanting to protect his family. He had taken his advice and stayed on so that he could learn to better defend them, and now he felt he was ready to leave.

Kicking a small rock out of his way, he walked up to the villa. Miles was sitting there on a bench just outside of eth front entrance. "What did you do to piss him off, and how bad is it going to bite me in the ass?" Miles asked as he took a seat next to the assassin.

"I told him I was leaving with Mother and Claudia in three days. He was quite mad at me." Ezio hung his head.

"He wants you to continue your father's work huh?" Miles asked as he leaned his back against the wall behind him, ankles crossed.

Ezio gave him a look, and asked, "How did you know about that?"

The older man laughed. "I have ears and you two were not exactly being quiet with your words."

"Oh." He picked a long blade of grass that grew at his feet and began to tear it into strips. "What do you think I should do? Should I hunt down the men that are responsible for the murder of my family, or should I run?"

Miles sat up and looked at him. "I can't tell you what you should do. I have never been in that situation."

"But you are an assassin." His eyes pled with the man that he looked up to as a friend.

"But I can't tell you what path to take. That is a choice you have to make for yourself, but whatever you do, you had better choose soon." And with that, he stood, dusted off his trousers and began to walk away.

Calling after him. Ezio wanted him to know his dissatisfaction in his advice. "You are no help!"

Turning around, he smiled. "You asked what I would do. I told you I didn't know. I have never been there, so I can't tell you what I would do. That, my friend, is something you have to choose on your own." And he disappeared down the steps into town.

A few unsavory words left the Italian's lips as he sat there and pondered what both man had said to him. Groaning, he took himself down to the training ring. Maybe bashing a few dummies would help him clear his head.

Once he made it down the first flight of steps, he saw a few men heading towards the front gates of the city, carrying their weapons. "Marco." He called out to the trainer for the mercenaries. The man turned to look at him as he approached. "Where are the men going?"

"With your uncle to deal with Vieri. He was been a thorn in Mario's side since you and your family came here. Now, he has openly gone after some of the people that lived here. That is an act of war in your uncle's eyes. I am surprised that you are staying, and not going with him." Marco shook his head. "The other man that has been staying here, Miles, left just a few minutes ago. Mario pulled him along."

"Then I should join them. This is my fight. If I had not come here, this would not be happening." Ezio knew what he needed to do. "Thank you Marco."

"Any time, Ezio, and be careful. They are heading to San Gimignano in the Toscana countryside."

He nodded and took off. He should be there. It was his fight after all and Vieri had a few things to answer for. He would at least like to see the bastardo get his in the end.

Running out of the gate, he saw something at surprised him. Miles was sitting astride a horse, holding the reins of another. "Thought you could use a mount." The assassin smiled from under his hood.

Jumping into the saddle, Ezio inclined his head. "Did your ears pick up on that conversation as well?"

Miles chuckled before pointing his horse in the right direction. "Nope. I just know you are loyal to your family and if they're in trouble, you will do what you can to make sure they're not hurt. Look at the shit you were doing to yourself just to make sure they got to Spain safely."

My man had a point. He was loyal to the point of nearly getting himself killed. "Then, I guess, we are heading to San Gimignano."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Desmond stood back and watched Ezio sink his blade into the flesh of Vieri de' Pazzi, thus ending his life. He thought about what was going through his head the first time he saw this through Ezio's own eyes. The rage, the hate, and guilt. It was something that took him a few days to get past in his own time. That much emotion was hard on the person looking back at the memories.

Mario caught Ezio before he stabbed the lifeless corpse of Vieri once more, and showed him how to respect the dead. He shook his head as he jumped from the wall, landed in a roll, and back on his feet. Shoving his hands into his pocket, he looked out at the countryside.

"Excuse me?" The voice of a young woman spoke up behind him, and he turned to look at her. From her clothes, he knew she was a courtesan. "Are you the assassin by the name of Miles?" He nodded. She pulled a note from between her breasts and held it out. "I was told to deliver this to you."

He looked at the letter and then to her. "Who's it from?"

She smiled. "One of my sisters out of Monteriggioni." And once he had the letter on his hand, she walked off, hips swaying back and forth.

Swiftly opening the letter, he noticed at first it was written in English and not old English but what he was used to.

_Miles, _

_Meet me on the brothel roof at dawn. We must talk. _

_I.B._

Desmond read the letter once more. Who the hell was sending him notes? He did not talk to anyone outside of the villa and he tried his damnedest to stay away from anyone from the village. Now, he looked down at the note in his hand, a courtesan wanted to meet with him. Great!

The note was on his mind as they made it back to the town. Should he meet this woman, or ignore it? I weighted heavy on his mind. So, once he got to the gates and dismounted his horse, he turned to Ezio. "I will talk to you later. I need to take care of something first." The first rays of dawn began to peak out from the horizon.

Ezio was physically and mentally drained, so all he did was nod and trudge towards the villa.

Desmond used the various handholds and poles to make it to the roof of the brothel. He did not know what to expect when he got there, so he made sure his blade was ready.

His feet hit the small flat roof and a woman walked from the shadows. "I didn't think you would come." Her eyes watched him as she walked closer.

Her emerald low cut dress matched her eyes to the letter. Her long hair was out of the traditional hairstyle and was the color of well-polished mahogany. She looked young, maybe his age or younger. Her feet were bare and her hands were clasped in front of her.

"Who are you?" He asked watching her carefully.

She smiled as she stopped in front of him. She barely came to his chin which put her at maybe five foot five. "A friend. My name is Isabella Bellucci. It is a pleasure to meet you in person, Desmond Miles."

**Bum, bum, bum! Who is Isabella and how does she know his real name? Tune in next time for some answers. I know I did not have a lot of Ezio in this chapter, but that will be rectified in the next chapter. See ya later!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright! I am rocking the coffee again. I woke one morning to a rather large mess. My coffee pot cracked and dumped its contents all over my countertop. A very big mess. So, my husband went out and got me a new coffee maker that does not have a glass pot. It is a Brew Station and for anyone that is out there, I would recommend it. They are amazing! Anyway, yes, I am done with my ramble about my coffee. Onward!**

"How do you know my name?" Desmond took a step back. Who was this woman?

Isabella smiled and took a seat on a small bench. Patting the seat next to her, she motioned him to sit. "I'm not going to bite you, but I might nibble." She chuckled at that, but his face remained unmoved. Her smile dropped and she watched his with a dead expression. "That's courtesan humor, Desmond. You were supposed to laugh."

"I'm not laughing. I want to know how you know who I really am. Like now." He was shaking on the inside. He had made sure that he never mentioned his first name, and anyone that knew him only called him by his last name. "No one knows who I am. How do you know?"

Sighing, she watched him. "You are not the only one that Abstergo has fucked with, Desmond. I was taken a few months before you and made to relive the memories of a few of my ancestors. If it wasn't for one of mine, Ezio would not be where he is now. He would have been killed trying to get his remaining family out of Firenze."

A light bulb went off in his head. "Paola. You are talking about Paola, aren't you?" She nodded. "How did you get back here?"

Isabella looked down at her hands. "Well, I don't actually know. I managed to escape when you killed Vidic, and shortly after that, was taken by a few assassins back to their base. That was when we got word from your team about what was going on. Juno was free, and you were presumed dead. No one could get back into the site.

"The team that I was with raced there, and we could not get through as well, but as we were standing there, we were all hit by a large amount of energy, throwing us to the ground. I hit my head, passed out, and woke up inside the temple. It was me and another guy, Steven. I checked him for a pulse, but he was dead. Juno and Minerva were arguing. Over what, I couldn't tell you, but I know Minerva was not happy about what Juno had done. They stopped for a moment and that was when they realized I was awake and watching them. They stood over your body, and then they both turned their attentions on me. I had never been so scared in my life." A shiver ran through her, and he began to feel bad. He knew how intense the First Ones could be when they had their attention focused solely on you. It was not a good place for anyone to be. That meant your life was about to get screwed up fast, and hard.

He walked over towards her. "Go on."

When she looked up at him, he could see the fear in her green eyes. "Juno was damn near whole. You couldn't see through her like you could Minerva. It was as if she was drawing power from something. I don't know what, but she was getting stronger. She meant to rule the world and create slaves to do her bidding. Minerva stood between me and Juno. It was as if she was trying to protect me from her. Then I remember falling. I don't know how I began to fall, but I did and woke up here a few weeks ago."

He finally sat next to her. It was, well, kind of nice to meet someone else from my time. Not under the circumstances mind you, but it was nice to know that there was someone else like him. "Isabella, why were you sent here?"

She shook her head. "I…I don't know, Desmond. I mean, they could have killed me, but I'm alive." Her hands wrung the dress' lace to complete wrinkles.

He knew how she felt. He was the same way when he woke up a few weeks ago, looking out over the ocean. "So why did you join up with the courtesans instead of the assassins?"

"Well I kind of woke up on the streets of Florence. I knew the place from Paola's memories, and knew where I was. I freaked out, and I mean to the point I thought I was back in another Animus." She smoothed out the hem of her dress. "When I realized that I was myself and not in the memories of another, I thought about trying to find the assassins, but I knew more about Paola's way of life than anything, and information flowed around them like fine wine. Hooking up with the courtesans was the most logical choice for me to take."

There was one question left unsaid. "How did find me though? I mean, I was careful about what I said."

She chuckled lightly at him. "When the name 'Miles' was mentioned around town, I went sniffing. You would not believe what men will say between the sheets, honey." Then she looked at who she was speaking to, and sighed. "Yes you would because you're a guy." He arched a brow at the guy comment, but she kept talking. "Anyway, the mercenary captain has a very loose tongue. He told me all about you and how you showed up in time to help save Ezio's family from the Pazzi thugs. After he fell asleep, I slipped from the room and found you myself. You were passed out, but I knew who you were from seeing you on the floor and reading your file at the base. That was when I made up my mind to try and talk to you. It only took a week for me to get up the nerve. I thought you would freak out." She gave him a small sheepish grin.

He watched her for a minute, letting her story sink in. They were both victims of Abstergo, and now Juno and Minerva. "Well, at least I now have someone to talk to when I want to reminisce about home." He gave her a lopsided smile that caused her to laugh a bit more.

"So you do." She laid her hand on his leg. "I don't have any more info for you other than what I've already told you, but I just wanted you to know I was here, and you weren't alone. Maybe together we can get out of this mess and back home."

Desmond let his smile soften. "Hopefully. Do you have any family back home?"

She nodded. "My father, Damien, my mother, Sarah, and my older brother, Seth. I had a younger brother, Dante, but he was killed when he was thirteen in an accident that killed my aunt and cousin." Then she met his eyes. "So what about you? Do you have any family besides your dad?"

Everyone knew about his father, the Grandmaster of the Assassins. It seems he came from a long line of Grandmasters. "My mom. I was an only child and sometimes I think they didn't even plan on having me." He looked down at the ground. "Hell, I've thought about not even going home. Just staying here, and actually try to have a normal life for once. I can just walk away now. You know, not be an assassin."

"Desmond," He heard Isabella say his name and he looked up at her. "if you decide not to go back, will you let me know?"

He nodded. "Sure thing, but if you want, I'll still help you get home."

A smile lit up her face. "Thank you. I knew I could trust you." And then she hugged him, causing him to blush under the hood.

After saying his goodbyes and telling her he would come by later to talk more, he walked to the villa in semi high spirits. He had finally met a kindred spirit in these dark times. Maybe, just maybe another friend.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Ezio relaxed on the roof of the villa for the afternoon. Mario had given him and Miles the day off of training. Something that had to do with him leaving the village for some business and that he would return in the morning. He was very secretive about it, but Ezio did not worry much. If his uncle had something planned, Mario would surely tell him when the time was right.

It had been a week since the assassination of Vieri and he still had mixed feeling about what he had done. He knew it was something that had to be done, but he was not a killer. At least, he thought he wasn't. He didn't feel overly upset about what he had done, so why was he dwelling on such things?

"Florin for your thoughts?"

He turned his head to see Miles making his way across the roof to where he was laying, staring at the sky. "Miles, how did you find me?"

Miles lay down next to him on the terracotta tile. "Well, when you were not in your room, the Sanctuary, the training ring, or the brothel, I figured I would look up here, and here you are."

He couldn't help but smile and shoot the older man a smirk. "You went to the brothel looking for me, or for yourself?" The tips of Miles' ears turned scarlet. "Oh, you were there talking to the ladies."

"Shut up Ezio, before I throw you from the roof." He grumbled, causing the Italian to laugh at his discomfort.

"Quit being such a stiff, mio amico. So you were talking to the ladies. You are human, male, and with needs. It is common." Ezio sat up and looked over at the high walls of Monteriggioni. "At least, I hope you have needs that you want met by a woman, because I am sorry, I am not that way."

Miles began to spit and sputter next to him, his face completely red at that point, making him laugh even harder until tears came pouring out of his brown eyes. "You are an ass, Ezio, and a whore on top that. I'm surprised your dick hasn't rotted off."

"Oh the day that happens is the day you come out and say you like men, mio amico." He smiled and pushed the hair from his eyes.

Miles chuckled at that. "Then I guess you are safe of a little bit longer."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Both sat there, listening to the birds call to one another and the feel of the wind across their skin. Ezio felt his troubles leave him for now, and that took a weight from his shoulders. It was like the times he and Federico would sneak off and run all over the rooftops of Firenze. This, just sitting here, was soothing to his soul.

"Thank you." Ezio never turned his head to look at Miles.

Miles, on the other hand, looked at him confused. "For what?"

"Just sitting here with me. I have not felt so at ease since before…" And he trailed off, diverting his eyes to the tiled roof.

"Since the betrayal?" He asked. Ezio nodded. "Then you are welcome. Hey, I know what will take your mind off of this?"

"Oh and what would that be?" The Italian lifted his head to look at his friend.

"Race you to the edge of town." He smirked.

That was something he had not done in quite some time. "You are going to lose." He returned the smirk. "Go!" And he bolted from the roof.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Isabella watched the city around her from the roof of the brothel. She hardly left, and when she did, it was to tend to men's needs. Back home, she was always the shy one, a bit stand offish. It wasn't that she didn't like people; she just didn't know who she could trust. It was the assassin training her father had instilled in her since she was in her early teens. That all went out the window when she met Ryan. A handsome boy with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. He worked with Seth at the local factory. She had been twenty-three at the time, putting Seth at twenty-five.

She had stopped in on their lunch break to drop off her apartment key because she was going on a 'retreat' with her father. They were training that weekend. Hiking in the Ozark Mountains, and doing some survival training. Her father was an assassin, and he had given her and Seth the choice of that life, or a normal life. They both took the assassin path. Since Seth was two years older, he was a bit more advanced in his training and would not be joining them that weekend, so he had the pleasure of walking her mutt, Misty.

Ryan swept her off her feet quickly and completely, but what she didn't know was he was an Abstergo agent sent to find her father. They settled on her. That was how she ended up inside Abstergo, in an Animus. She trusted the one person she shouldn't have, and that landed her where she was now.

She shook the depressing thought away. She was here now, and didn't know how she would ever make it back home. That thought did not sit well with her, and so she dove off the roof, into a hay cart like she had seen Desmond and Ezio do so many times, and Paola when she relived her memories.

Rolling from the cart, Isabella dusted the hay from her crimson dress and headed towards the square, but as she went to turn the corner, two people plowed over her, knocking her to the ground, along with them. The three of them landed in a pile of arms, legs and other crushed body parts. She pushed a knee out of her face and an elbow from her gut until she came face to face with Desmond.

"And what is the big idea of running me over? Have you no brains in that head of yours to watch where you're going?" She fired at him, wanting so much to plant her small fist in his face, but she held herself in check.

His face turned nearly the color of her dress as he tried to detangle himself from Ezio and her. "I'm sorry, Isabella. I didn't see you. Ezio and I, well we were trying to see who could get to the edge of town faster."

"I shall blame him. It was his idea after all." Ezio wormed his way out of the heap of limbs and managed to rise to his feet.

"Thanks Ezio." She heard Desmond grumble as he too, made it to his feet.

He held out a hand, and pulled her to her feet effortlessly. "Well you two should be more careful. You could seriously hurt a person." She dusted off her dress and groaned when her hand entered a hole that had not been there before. "Damn it."

"Isabella, I'll pay to have it fixed, I promise." Desmond reached for his coins, but she held up her hand.

"Don't worry about it. I can fix it on my own." She glared. "Just watch what you're doing next time." She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm.

"Let me make it up to you. I don't want you to be mad at me." He pleaded with her.

She sighed. "Fine. What do you have planned?"

"Can I buy you dinner?" He asked.

Smiling, she decided to mess with him a bit. Moving closer, she pressed her hip to his, and batted her lashes at him. "Why Mr. Miles, are you asking me out on a date?"

"I…uh… that is…" He stuttered with his words, turning crimson once more before she busted out laughing.

"Calm yourself. I was only joking with you. Yes, you can buy me dinner, but it will have to be when I get back. Some of the girls are going to Firenze today and I am tagging along. I need out of this village." She grinned. "So, should I see you tomorrow night?"

"Uh…I…" Desmond stuttered some more, but Ezio stepped in, took her hand and laid a soft kiss on the back.

"He would be honored." The younger assassin smiled.

Isabella couldn't help but feel her cheeks blush at the smile. "I…I guess I will see you then." She took her hand back, gave a small wave, and walked swiftly back to the brothel.

Nicolette was standing near the door and saw the whole exchange. "Oh Isabella, going after Ser Ezio, are we? He is quite handsome, isn't he?" She smiled widely, and giggled behind her small hand.

She rolled her eyes and gave a flat look to the girl she called friend. "No, I am not going after Ezio. Actually, I am friends with the other man, Miles."

Claudette, Nicolette's twin, walked out at that point. "Did I hear that someone was going after Ezio Auditore? I was there when Paola brought his family into her brothel in Firenze. He is a handsome man." She, like her sister, giggled into her hand.

"No, Ezio's friend…" But her words trailed off when they were not even paying attention to her. Their eyes were fixed on the Florentine nobleman. "Oh forget it. You two should start an Ezio fan club from the way you drool every time you see him."

They looked over at her, eyes blinking in time with one another. "Did you say something, Bella?" Claudette asked, a dreamy little smile on her scarlet lips.

She hated when people shortened her name to Bella. "It's Isabella, and no, I did not say a word." She glared at the girl. "I swear you have more fluff than brain in that head of yours, Claudette."

She shook her dark head, letting the long tendrils that escaped the up do, curl around her heart shaped face. "I do not."

Nicolette laughed at her sister. "She is right, sister, you do have more fluff than brain."

Isabella just shook her head as the twins began to squabble amongst themselves, leaving her free to walk inside. Silvia, the Madam, called to her as she walked past. "Isabella, may I have a moment with you, child?"

She diverted her path so she would stand next to the older woman. In her prime, she knew Silvia was probably a beautiful woman, but as all things do, she aged and lost that youthful look, and her body was a bit plumper now. Not to say that she was not beautiful still, she was just not what the men wanted.

"Yes Silvia?" She bowed out of respect.

The woman smiled kindly. "You are going with some of the girls to Paola's tonight, yes?" She nodded. "I need you to deliver this message to an associate of mine in the walls of the city. He will know who to take it to after that. Can you do this for me? You are about the only one of the girls that does not get distracted by a handsome man."

"Of course." She smiled pleasantly, but on the inside she groaned because the men she delivered letters to thought she was also there to give them pleasure.

She pulled the letter from the pocket of her dress and held it out. "His name is Leonardo da Vinci, and make this your top priority once you enter the city."

Wait! She was going to be meeting Leonardo freaking da Vinci!? The famous artist/painter/inventor of the Renaissance era? She could not find the words to speak, so she nodded, took the letter and headed to the small room she called her own. She was definitely wearing the emerald dress.

**Okay, so we introduced Isabella. She is a person displaced just like Desmond, and another assassin to boot. Yes, she is a descendant of Paola. Gotta give some love to the minor characters sometimes. And no, they are not crushing on each other. Isabella just likes messing with him and Desmond does not know what to say to the opposite sex. In the next chapter, we are going to jump ahead a few years to 1478. That is when Ezio goes back to Firenze for the first time since leaving. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I hate computers! Well, I had a slight crisis on Monday. I came home from taking my daughter to the eye doctor to find out my computer had quit working! Yeah, just up and shut off on my husband. Mind you, I just had the damn thing redone a month ago from a virus my kids downloaded. Well, a friend of mine and his brother-in-law are computer guys, sat down, tore into it and found out my motherboard fried out! Really?! The computer was barely over a year old! Anyway, my friend had an older computer that was like three years old, so he set it up for me, and gave it to me. He uses my rather large van a lot, and I never charge him to use it. I even put the gas into it. They charged me dinner and a pack of smokes each. Not bad for another computer huh? It has my hard drive, so I didn't lose anything. I would have cried if that had happened because I was almost done with this chapter. Well, now that I am back up and running, I will continue on.**

**July 1478**

Ezio walked into the city, head down, but eyes scanning everything that was around him. Miles was somewhere already in the city. Mario has sent the older man in before him to make sure the danger of every guard wanting his head had passed. The courtesans, Isabella included, had seen to the posters being taken down and the right people bribed.

He knew where he was heading. He was to see Leonardo once more. It had been two years since he had seen the man, and he was the only one around that seemed to know how to decipher the Codex pages. The man's workshop came into view and he quickly made it to the door and knocked.

Leonardo answered and ushered him in. "Come, come! Miles told me to expect you but not so soon. I was not sure you would make it past all the guards."

He smiled. "They would not stand a chance." The years of intensive training had done him good. He was faster than he once was and lighter on his feet. He could tell a friend from foe, and danger a mile away. "Anyway, I have something for you." He pulled the page from its place on his belt and held it out.

"Another page! How exciting!" The man's eyes were alight with wonder as to what mysteries would lay on this page. He took it eagerly and nearly skipped over to his bench to work on the translation.

Taking his normal seat, he watched the man work. "So do you know where Miles is?" He asked as he looked around. There were so many new things that he could not take it all in.

"The last I heard from him was several hours ago. He should be coming back here." Leonardo was still bent to over his work, trying to figure out the cypher to the new page. "Ah ha! I have it!"

That was quick, but the blond man was a genius when it came to puzzles and the like. He stood up straight and held out the page. Ezio smiled and retrieved the parchment from his waiting hand. "I knew you could do it, Leonardo."

He smiled. "Give me a bit, and I will have the new blade for you."

Ezio nodded, and walked around admiring the work the man had been doing. New paintings, sketches, and designs littered the whole area. He had been busy indeed. There was not this many things last time he had been in this room, but time changes all things, people included.

He did not know how much time had passed as he looked around, but Leonardo walked over to him and held out the second blade. "Now you are twice as deadly my friend."

Before Ezio could speak, there was a knock on the door. Leonardo ushered him into one of the adjoining rooms. "Stay here until I call for you." He spoke low and walked back to his front door.

Ezio placed his back to the wall, opened his ears, closed his eyes and let his heightened sense of hearing take over.

The door opened and Leonardo began talking to someone. Their voices were low, hushed, but he was able to make out that it was a woman. When the door closed, he heard his name. Reopening his eyes, he walked out to see Isabella standing there, her low cut dress showing off the top of her bust, but it was ripped in areas, and he spotted some blood on it as well.

"Isabella, are you alright?" He walked up to her, taking her by the shoulders and inspected her from head to toe.

She nodded with a smile. "I'm fine. It's not my blood, so don't be alarmed. A guard tried to get a little too feisty with one of the girls, so I showed him how feisty I could be with a blade." Pulling out the wicked little knife from the folds of her dress, it flashed in the low candlelight. "He will not be bothering the girls any longer."

Now he understood why he liked the little spitfire of a woman. She was loyal and knew how to handle a knife. "I am glad to see that you are unharmed, Bella." He gave her a smile, and she rolled her eyes. She was about to open her mouth to correct the name. She hated when people shortened it. "And I was calling you beautiful, not shortening your name."

"Oh, then that's okay, I guess." She blushed, and diverted her eyes. "I…brought you a message from Miles. He wants you to meet him near the Il Duomo."

"I think that man has more spies that I do. I just entered the city not more than an hour ago." Ezio shook his head.

Isabella smiled, and laid a hand on her hip. "Sorry sweetheart, but the only one spying for him and you is me, and I am about to quit if you two don't start paying up." She held out her hand, and he dropped a few coins into it. "Hey, a girl's gotta eat."

"Don't you get enough coin from the men you 'entertain'?" He smiled wickedly down at her, and she gave the same smile back.

"I may be a whore, Ezio Auditore, but at least I am not a slut like you. I get paid for my services. And very well mind you, but I don't give it away like some men I know." She poked him in the chest. "Now, I think you should run along like a good little boy and meet with Miles."

Leonardo, who had been quiet up until now, chuckled. "Isabella, I would not goad him."

She grinned at the inventor. "I know, but I like to get a rise out of him."

Ezio just rolled his eyes. "Isabella, please stay out of trouble."

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she just kept on smiling. "Well, I guess I will see you boys later. I have to get back out there and get things done." Isabella walked out the door, closing it quietly behind her.

"Sometimes I wonder what that woman would be like if she was like you. I would believe she might be better than you with little training." Leonardo turned away from the door and headed over to his workbench. "Now, what else can I do for you, Ezio?"

"I need help finding someone. La Volpe." He looked at his friend.

"The Fox." The blond looked over his shoulder. "If you are looking for him, then he knows you are looking for him. He will find you."

Cryptic, but that was typical sometimes when you were talking about the underworld people of the city. "Then I will go start my search."

Leonardo looked at him once more. "I would talk to Miles first. He may have some information that I do not have."

With a nod of his dark head, Ezio stole from the workshop and headed into the slightly crowded streets once more.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Isabella watched Ezio leave Leonardo's place from her hiding spot on the roof. Desmond and herself had still not told him that she was an assassin. To the Italian, she was just a courtesan, but could handle herself. Once he was out of sight, she took herself from the darkened balcony and did a leap into a nearby hay cart.

Dusting herself off, she wandered the streets for a time, listening in on the conversations of the guards, and the local people. It was good that Italian was her second language growing up. Her father was actually born in a small town near Venice and lived there until he was in his teens. That was when he was transferred to North America to work with the assassins there. Then he met her mother and got married.

She smiled at the memories of her parents and when they talked about how they met. She hoped for a love like they had one day, but as she looked around at where she was, she didn't see that happening. Displaced through time because of a random chance encounter, she knew any hopes of a normal life lay in the finding of the Apple Of Eden. At least that's what Desmond had told her.

Sighing, she walked past a few of the other girl and waved. They smiled and waved back as well. The girls in the city had accepted her as one of their own and for that, she used her assassin training to protect them the best she could.

As she walked to the back of the La Rosa Colta, she spied Paola talking to a few of the girls. One of them was the one that she rescued earlier. The madam saw her and waved her over. Hanging her head, Isabella's feet lead her over to the four women.

"Isabella, Guiana was telling me about how you saved her from one of the guards that was harassing her earlier." Paola's hands were clasped in front of her, with a ghost of a smile on her painted lips.

"I did. I could not let that scum hurt her. I believe no man should ever raise a hand at a woman in anger, or demand something that he is not entitled to." She held her head head high, and met the eyes of her ancestor.

The madam gave her a knowing nod. "I agree with you, my dear." She gestured the other women to leave, and waved her hand. "Follow me if you would."Isabella fell in step with her. "I know what you are, Isabella. You cannot hide that from one that is."

Trying to play dumb, she batted her eyes like she was confused. "What are you talking about? I am a courtesan, and you know that."

Paola, being ever the lady, chuckled behind her hand. "You are no mere courtesan. The way you handled the guard was assassin training. Guiana described it in great detail. She talked about you like you were the next coming of Christ."

Isabella rubbed her neck. "I'm flattered that she looks at me like that, but I'm not an assassin."

"My dear, you cannot lie to another assassin. We are trained in the art of deception. I want the truth. Are you, or are you not an assassin?" She stopped and looked at her.

Gulping, she looked down at the ground. "I am."

Paola's hand rested on her upper arm, and Isabella raised her eyes. "See? Was that so difficult to tell? No, I believe it was not. Now, what to do with you, child?" She smiled and tapped a finger against her chin. "I know. There is a young man in the city by the name of..."

Isabella cut her off. "Ezio Auditore, I know. I have been working with him and the other man, Miles. I have been feeding them information for the last two years. Ezio doesn't know I am an assassin, but Miles does."

"Really?" She cocked her head slightly to the side. "I wish I had known you were an assassin since the beginning. I would like you to come back to the La Rosa Colta. I have something for you."

That piqued Isabella's interest. "What is it?" She said it like a small child about to get a surprise from a parent. Well, Paola was kind of like a parent. She was like her great times a lot grandmother, so that counted right?

That got a good laugh from the woman. "My, aren't you eager? Come back and I will show you."

Isabella was all too eager to follow the woman that she had followed for so many years in her youth.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Desmond looked out over the city of Firenze and remembered it from the time he had spent as Ezio, reliving the Italian's memories, trying to find the Apple for the assassins. Then his stomach dropped when the memory of what happened when he laid his real hands on the golden skin in Juno's Temple.

Bile rose in his throat and he could almost feel the warm blood running across his left hand, but as he looked down, all he saw was the tanned flesh. He could not help but sigh in relief. There was nothing there now. That was two and a half years ago. Well, really it had not come to pass at that time, but for him two and half years had come and gone.

Trying to take his thoughts somewhere else, he looked around the rooftop, trying to keep an eye out for Ezio. He had already found La Volpe and told the older man what was going on, and to keep his eyes open for Ezio. Isabella had already delivered the message. He knew because he watched her walk into Leonardo's workshop.

"Miles." He heard his name being called and turned to see Ezio running up with La Volpe at his side.

Once they came to a stop, the younger man was breathing slightly heavy, while La Volpe was just fine. That had pissed him off the first time. Now, he found it funny because there was times that he himself was faster than Ezio, but there was other times that Ezio could run rings around him, but all in all, they were equally matched.

"I have told him about the meeting. Are you to accompany him?" The Fox asked as he looked at Desmond.

He nodded. "If he wants me to. That's up to him." He pointed a thumb at Ezio, who had begun to recover.

"May I get into your conversation here?" He asked as he looked from one man to the other.

La Volpe smiled. "By all means."

"How did you know about this meeting?" He asked Desmond.

"The same way you did." He pointed at the other man. "I just got here before you and plus, before you ask, Isabella told me where to find him." Actually, he already knew, but that would be his little secret.

Ezio sighed. "Very well. Would you like to accompany me to this meeting?"

Desmond shrugged, but inside he was jumping for joy to actually get to see one of the assassin tombs up close and personal with his own eyes. Granted, he could go to any of them whenever he wanted. He knew where the other five were and could unlock the armor for Ezio, but he knew the younger man had to do it on his own. "If you want me to."

"Then by all means, follow me. I will not turn away company to fight the Templars. That is if we run into any." He grinned and turned to La Volpe. "Thank you for the information."

The Fox bowed with a smile of his own. "You quite welcome, Ezio. Be careful down there. I do not know what you will come across."

"I will be swift and silent. Uncle Mario has taught me well." He checked his hood. "Shall we be off?"

"After you." Desmond gestured to the edge and Ezio swiftly jumped off.

Once the Italian was clear of the hay, he performed the leap himself, landing safely in the blond hay. He nearly laughed out loud when he thought about the first time he had ever done that as Altair. He damn near came out of his skin when he barely messed being a greasy smear on the hard packed earth below. A few inches either way would have desynchronized him from the Syrian's memory sequence. He had learned that the hard way. One time he had missed. It may have all been in his mind, but he felt sore every time he did fall, or get cut.

Finding the entrance point easily, he entered after Ezio and dropped into the old catacombs under the Santa Maria Novella. Now, he wanted to cry at the memories of what he was about to endure. Thank God that he had excelled at learning the free running from Ezio, or he really would be in tears as he stretched his body to the limits, jumping from one point to the other.

Rolling, jumping, swinging, and occasionally putting a guard down had him completely exhausted by the time they made it to the meeting. Sliding down the wall, he sat there, getting his breath back while Rodrigo Borgia, and all of his associates. He wanted to tell Ezio on what was to come. The tragedies that befall him later in life, but he knew he had to keep his mouth shut. It all had to come to pass. He could not alter the future in any way.

Once the men left, the two of them made their way to the tomb. He half expected to hear Shaun or Rebecca's voice go off in his ear, telling him that he had stumbled upon one of the assassin tombs, but all that greeted him was the sounds of their boots on the stone slabs that lay under their feet.

He watched as Ezio opened the tomb and retrieved the seal. The first of six that would get him the ancient armor of Altair. He wanted to touch that armor just once, then he would be happy.

"Come Miles, we have work to d, and I believe it will not be pleasant." Ezio placed the seal in his pouch and walked out the hidden door with Desmond following behind on his heels.

**Okay, I will warn you, if you see any mistakes, please don't shoot me! I am using a new program called OpenOffice. I don't have Microsoft Word on here right now. I have to wait a few more days to get that back on. Everything is still getting put together. Heck, I still don't have all my music back. That is what is driving the craziest. I have a massive collection, and I have maybe half. Like only a thousand of them. Yes, I have a mass amount of music. I still have to get my iTunes back! Ahhhhh! I hate redoing computers! See you all later!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I want to start off by thanking everyone again for the amazing reviews and becoming a follower of this story. It has far exceeded my expectations and I am forever and eternally grateful to all the amazing people out there. Oh, and Minecraft Guardiansaiyan, the answer to your question will be coming soon, I promise. **

Ezio sat beside La Volpe on a stone bench near a few stone archways on the side of the Il Duomo. Miles had elected to stay out of the conversation, stating he was just there for backup, not brainstorming. He found it quite odd that the older man did not care about what was going on, but there were few things that the man did that were odd upon itself, but now was not the time to think on such things.

"What was their plan, Ezio? What did they say?" The Fox looked sideways at him, his cowl pulled up around his head.

"They have something planned for tomorrow at the Duomo. Something to do with the Medici family." He shook his head. "But tomorrow is Sunday mass."

They talked some more, but neither one could put two and two together, until they heard Miles growl. "Dear Lord, are you two dense? Francesco da Pazzi plans to kill Lorenzo and his family in front of the whole damn population of the city." He looked at the two men. "It's not that freaking hard to figure out."

Both of them blinked in surprise at Miles. His eyes were narrowed and looking at Ezio first, then his eyes drifted to La Volpe. "How did you come to that conclusion?" The Fox asked.

"Its simple. They hate the Medici and they are attacking at mass in the morning. Lorenzo and his family are always there. They don't miss mass, just like everyone else in Firenze." He crossed his arms over his chest, and shook his head. "You two are supposed to know this."

"Clarify? Why are we supposed to know this?" Ezio's eyes narrowed as he watched Miles' body language.

He became shifty, which Ezio took for he was hiding something. He knew the man had secrets, but he had never pried into his life. If Miles wanted to tell him something, he would wait until the man was ready to say it. But now, it was something that he knew. Was he in league with them? Was that how he knew this plan?

"I meant was that you are an assassin and he is a thief. You two are well connected and everything was so obvious." Miles turned his back to them. "I need to go find Isabella." And like that, he was gone.

Looking at La Volpe, Ezio didn't know what to say, but thankfully the thief did. "If you would like, I will have the man watched. He is rather odd, and acting a bit suspicious. The woman that he has ran off to see is also the same way, but she is careful on where she goes, whom she talks to and what she does. The main place she goes is to the La Rosa Colta when she is in the city."

"But she is a courtesan. How is that strange for her to go there?" He asked. He saw nothing wrong with Isabella. She was always helpful and never gave him any reason to distrust her.

"I know, but no one had ever heard of her up until two years ago. That was when Miles came into your life, if I am not mistaken." La Volpe gave him a knowing smile. When Ezio was about to open his mouth, he held up his hand. "I am in the business of information, Ezio. I know the history of all the men and women I work with, but nothing is known about them until they appeared two years ago." Standing, he inclined his head. "I will keep my year to the ground, and I would advise you do the same thing." And like that, he was gone, leaving Ezio to sit there with many thoughts, all bad, running through his head.

Standing himself, he shook his head. "I need to talk to Paola."

Walking through the city, he made his way past the places that he used to play as a child, through the crowded streets where he used to walk with his family on their way to Sunday Mass. It brought back wonderful memories, but also bittersweet ones as well.

It made him think of the day two years ago when his life took a turn he never saw coming. Nothing he could do to stop it and now here he was. He would love to change the past and never have any of this come to pass. Have his family be whole once more. Mother smiling and shaking her head as she tended to the roses that grew in the palazzo. Federico challenging him to races and the like around the city. He working as his father's messenger. It was all bittersweet, but at least he could now look back on his family and not want to break down and cry at the mere thought of them.

Turning the last corner, he saw the brothel in view, but what stopped him in his tracks was someone dressed in scarlet assassin robes, similar to his, but as he let his eyes take in what he was seeing, it was a woman, talking to Paola and Miles.

He walked over and the three of them looked over at him. The female assassin kept her face covered as to not show who she really was. "What is this?" He asked, furious that this was kept from him. Another assassin in the city. Did they think him incapable?

"Ezio, this is not what it looks like." Miles took a step forward, but he had his eyes on the woman in scarlet.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

Paola stepped in front of him and the new woman. "You have no reason to be angry with her, Ezio. She is my assassin and mine alone. You would do well to remember that." Her eyes narrowed and met him eye to eye. "Now, if you have business here in my brothel, I will welcome you, but if you are here to pick a fight with Miles, or her, you will have to deal with me."

"I need to speak with you about Isabella. I need some information on her." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the madam.

Shaking her head, she waved him to follow and the others. "Come with me." She walked inside, and took them to a private room in the back. Once the door was closed and everyone inside, Paola spoke. "Now, what would you like to know?"

"Who is she? She did not come here until two years ago, and no one has heard of her before then. I want to know if you know anything more about her?" He asked.

Miles looked around the room and the female assassin took a seat in a chair, but kept her head bent so her face was never seen. Paola seemed unfazed by the question. "She was from a small brothel north of Sicily. From there she was brought to me two years ago and I was the one that sent her to Monteriggioni when your uncle said that the brothel there had been rebuilt. She was one of my best girls and even though I hated to see her go, I knew she would do well there. Also, if I had not sent her there, she would not have met you and Miles, and yes I know, she has become your spy."

He now understood where she had come from, and if Paola was standing up for her, then he would drop the thought for now. "Thank you Paola for clearing that up." Then his eyes shifted to Miles. "But as for you, I would like some answers from you."

"Look, I can't tell you much, but what I can tell you right now is, I am not your enemy, Ezio. I am an assassin, but there are other things I can't tell you at this time. Please, I will explain soon, but you have to find out about a few things first. After that, I will gladly tell you what you want to know." He pleaded with him.

Although reluctantly, he backed down, but he still was suspicious of the man now. "I will give you the benefit of the doubt at this point, but soon I would like some answers." And with that, he turned on his heels and walked out, leaving the three of them there.

*/*/*/*/*/*

Isabella pulled down her hood once Ezio had left the room. "Paola, I owe you for covering for me like that. I am forever in your debt."

Paola smiled and took a seat on the sofa. "He does not need to know the origins of the two of you just yet. He is a headstrong boy who has not come into his own. Once the time comes, I am sure the two of you will keep him on the right path."

Desmond leaned against the desk behind him. "He's not going to easily trust me anymore. He's beginning to think I'm the enemy." His head dropped and his eyes were cast onto the floor. Isabella's heart went out to him.

She stood and walked over to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she gave him a squeeze. "He will get over it. Once everything that happens tomorrow happens and we are by his side, he won't think you're the enemy."

His arms came around her, and she smiled into his chest. "Thanks Isabella. I guess I kind of needed that."

Isabella could have stayed that way forever, but she knew now was not the time to be falling in love with him. There was too much to do, and trying to find a way home was ranked up there pretty high. She did not want to spend the rest of her life in Renaissance Italy with her ancestor and be a courtesan for forever. Hell, if someone had come to her three years ago and tell her that she would be captured by the Templars, put into a machine that would let her connect with her ancestor, and then be shot into that said ancestors life by the Ones That Came Before, she would have laughed in their face, then probably bought them a drink because it was so funny. Now, she saw that it was not in least bit funny and she was trapped in the past, with no sign of going back home.

And so, reluctantly, she left his embrace and felt the world settle back on her shoulders. Turning to Paola, she gave the woman her best smile. "I want to thank you for everything you have done for me and for Desmond."

She smiled back. "I am just glad that you came to me with the truth. I have seen things in my days that would scare most people and boggle their minds. Now that I know what the Pieces of Eden are capable of, it is most urgent that we find it and keep it from Templar hands. I trust you two are able to do that?" She asked looking from Isabella to Desmond.

"I haven't lived the lives of three of my ancestors for nothing, Paola. At first it was so the Templars could learn where the Apple was. Then it was so I could learn to be an assassin, and then to learn where the key to Grand Temple was. I have learned a lot from them, and I'm still learning." He said with a smile. "I am just glad that I have help on my journey now." He turned and flashed that smile at her, and she felt her heart skip a beat.

Paola must have picked up on it, because her face softened as she looked at her. "May I have a moment with my assassin, Desmond? I will not keep her long because you two have some planning to do, yes?"

Desmond nodded and walked from the room. Once the door was safely closed and his footsteps had retreated down the hall, she spoke once more. "You like him, do you not, child?"

Isabella spitted and sputtered. "I...uh...no, no, of course not. I have a respect for him and we share a common bond from being from the same time and all. That's it."

"You do not lie well, Isabella. I can see that you do like him." She walked over to the desk and took a seat in the large chair there. "There is nothing wrong in that. Love can be a wonderful thing, and can help you on the way."

She snorted. "I was dragged into this mess because of love, Paola. I was nearly killed because I fell in love with the wrong man. I can't make that mistake again."

Her hands rested in her lap, and the madam watched the female assassin with a careful eye. "Have you not thought that this was fate? That this was to happen to the two of you because you are meant to be?" Isabella raised a brow. "You may call me a dreamer, but I too wish to find love one day. I may have been betrayed," and she looked down at her covered wrist, "but that does not mean that I have given up on my dream."

"You will find love one day, Paola, I know you will. If you hadn't, I would have never been born." She chuckled. Desmond and her had told Paola much of what had happened to them. She was the only one Desmond and she had trusted with the information that could doom both of them to death.

The older woman chuckled. "That I know, child. That I know, but is it the man I have been waiting for, or is it someone that is just there at the right time? You do not know that, do you?"

To be honest, she didn't. She had only relived parts of her life. From her training as an assassin at the hands of Giovanni and Mario Auditore's father, to the betrayal of a former lover, her life as the madam of the courtesans, and when they found the Apple of Eden with Rodrigo Borgia. That was when Ezio found out about her being an assassin, along with many others. So, she answered truthfully. "No, I don't. I wish I could tell you, but I really don't know."

"You have already told me enough, Isabella. Just to know that my line does not end with me is enough to help me sleep at night. Now, you should go find Desmond before my girls entice him into one of their beds." She waved her off with a smile.

Before she walked out the door, she looked back at her ancestor. "Thanks for the pep talk, Paola. It actually did help to cheer me up."

"My door is always open to you and Desmond, Isabella." She nodded her dark head and looked down at the papers that cluttered her desk.

So she took herself from the office and down the hall, the whole time her mind going back through the conversation she had just had. Yes, she would admit to herself that she had feelings for the assassin turned bartender turned back in an assassin, but would she ever act on them. Oh hell no! There was not a chance in hell that she would ever act, let alone tell. That might be something if they ever made it back home.

*/*/*/*/*/*

Desmond smiled at the girls that surrounded him on the small sofa. Granted, it was nice to have the women fawn on him, but he was an idiot when it came to talking to them. Lucy was a good example. He had begun to develop feelings for her as the months pressed on, but would never open his mouth. She had died by his blade.

Now Isabella was another story. He had no freaking clue how to broach the subject. Granted they messed with each other and she had become his good friend, along with Ezio. Now, he was beginning to see her differently, and honestly, it scared the piss out of him. He had never be able to talk to women, and he meant never.

Throwing the thoughts onto the ever-growing pile in the back of his mind, he smiled brightly at the women around him. He didn't know their names, but they had tried to get him, on more than one occasion to come to their bed and help them warm it.

A hand sat on his thigh, creeping ever closer to an area he didn't even want to think about at that time. He had things to do, but these women made him forget what the hell that was.

Someone cleared their throat and every head in the room looked up to see Isabella standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, scarlet robes pristine. They had been Paola's when she was younger. At least that was what she had told him.

"Alright ladies, I am taking your play toy now." She walked into the room, and all the women groaned.

"Isabella." The blond, who's hand was moving north on his thigh again, smiled at the female assassin. "Just a few more minutes?"

She shook her head, and watched the mahogany braid fall over her shoulder, coming to a rest across her chest. "Give him up."

They must have respected Isabella, because the others got up and left, except the blond. "You have no say so over me." The girl smirked and moved closer.

And he watched the green eyed woman's eyes narrow and her hand shot out grabbing the other woman by the hair, dragging her to her feet. His eyes widened as Isabella got into the courtesan's face. "Just remember who saved your life a few days ago and last year. You have a mouth on you, Julia, and the men here don't take kindly to that, and you should have learned that by now. You have no power anymore, and the more you think you do, the more you are going to get beat. I'm not going to be around to save you ass every time. So when someone tells you to do something, and they have weapons and you don't, I would advise you listen to them." Isabella released her none to nicely. "Now run along before I tell Paola how you are treating people."

The girl had tears rolling from her eyes as she held her head and ran from the room like a frightened child. He stood and came to her side. "You know, you could have handled that a bit differently." He told her.

She snorted and picked a piece of bond hair out from under the metal plate that ran across the gauntlet she wore on her left forearm. "Not with her I couldn't. Julia thinks she is better than everyone else because of her birth. She was a nobleman's daughter down in Venice. Well, when the money dried up and they lost everything, he basically sold her to the courtesans, moved away and left her there." She headed for the front door, pulling her hood up as they went. "She still has that mindset that she can boss people around. I have had to stop two guards from killing her, and a wealthy merchant. The merchant I paid off and Adryanna took Julia's place for the night, but the guards I ran through with little care as to who they were."

Desmond couldn't help but smile. "The way you talk, I think you actually care what happens to these girls."

Another snort and she gave him a lopsided grin. "You keep thinking that. The only reason I protect some of them is because they are my friends, but the only reason I have kept Julia alive as long as I have is because I want her to learn humility, and humanity. That will take her far in this world."

Silence fell over them as they began to walk the darkened streets of Firenze. It wasn't like it was a bad silence, but it was comfortable to him. As they walked into the plaza that was in front of the Duomo, he looked around at the guards as they made their rounds, keeping the people that called this city their home safe.

Isabella stopped next to him, her hood pulled low over her face. "So what's your plan? You know what is going to happen."

He scanned his memories. "Lorenzo comes in first with his wife, and then his brother follows. He is the one that is attacked first and killed."

She looked at him. "Are we going to save him? I mean, with your knowledge, we can do that. Actually, we can save them all by going out tonight and killing Francesco. It wouldn't be that hard, Des. The girls know where he is."

Desmond shook his head. "No, I hate to say this, but it has to play out just like it has before, or will, or ugh, something like that."

Chuckling, she took his hand and walked him farther into the plaza. The guards paid them no mind as they did their patrol. "I need to know what you know. I am not about to fly into this battle blind. That is how good assassins end up dead, or injured."

He knew what she was getting at, and so he told her all that would happen, and held nothing back. Once he was done, she nodded. "Think you got all of that?" He asked as he looked once more at the guards.

"We are just playing backup, right?" He nodded. "Okay, then yeah, I have what I need. Ezio has to be the one to scare off Francesco and then get Lorenzo to safety." She had it.

"Now that we are on the same page, I'm starving. Know any good places around here to get some grub at this late hour? It's not like New York City to where you can find a hot dog vendor on every corner." He grinned and that was about the time he missed the loud, angry city, but it didn't matter. He may miss it, but he was actually liking the quiet and stillness that the small Italian city offered.

That got her to laugh. "I know what you mean, and yes, I know a few places that we can get food at. Come on. I can't have you wasting away, now can I?" And she poked him in the gut. "Although, it doesn't seem like you have missed too many meals since coming here."

His eyes widened as she walked off. "Are you calling me fat?" There was not an ounce of fat on his body. Actually he was in the best shape of his life, thank you very much.

She grinned over her shoulder. "If the shoe fits, honey."

"You are a mean and cruel woman, Isabella Bellucci." He growled playfully as he came back up to her side.

Fanning herself jokingly, she batted her lashes at him. "Why Desmond, if you keep talking to me like that, you might find yourself in my bed later on." And she cackled, then took off in a sprint through the city with him hot on her heels.

**So, a few things going on in this chapter. Ezio is beginning to grow suspicious of Desmond, Paola knows about the two of them and the death of Francesco da Pazzi is coming to a close. I have been trying to follow the story of the game as much as possible. Hopefully I am doing a good job of that. I have been replaying the game and trying to get the information that is vital in keeping the story on track. More to follow and I will see you all later!**


	7. Chapter 7

Isabella watched the people as they gather for Sunday mass. The throngs of people waiting for the large wooden doors to open so they could worship a God that seemed to not care for his children. She, at one time, had been a believer. Attended mass with her family every Sunday, went to bible school, and church outings. Her mother, Sarah, was raised Baptist, while her father was raised Catholic, and at one point in his life, had attended Sunday Mass at this very place in the future.

They had brought their children up right. To be good citizens. To watch out for the weak, and to always do what was right. But as she grew, and saw the many injustices in the world. The corrupt getting the power and the lesser man dying for the faith that he believed in. It was enough for her to question the 'God' that was to watch over them.

She closed her eyes briefly and took in a deep breath. As she exhaled through her mouth, her eyes opened once more, the thoughts of her family and her ex-beliefs chased from her mind like phantoms at the first of dawn's light. She had to keep her head in the game. She had to protect Ezio from Francesco. Even though Desmond had told her that he would walk away with hardly a scratch, she still had a job to do. She still had to keep an eye on everything and watch everyone. She would not fail. Not again.

Movement out of the corner of her eye made her turn her head to see what it was. It was not someone that was waiting for entrance. This was three men who walked with a purpose. A mission. Isabella knew who they were instantly when she saw the men that they had their eyes on. Lorenzo Medici and his wife had just arrived. He smiled and waved at the populous. His brother, Giuliano, who had a woman on each arm, was all smiles as well as they headed towards the front of the Duomo.

Standing, she leaped the small distance and dove into the hay below, rolling out just in time to see Francesco's stiletto drive its way into the chest of the younger de' Medici. Desmond had told her that his death had to happen, but Lorenzo himself could not die. And so, she pushed into the fray, as the screaming people took off from the bloodshed and the followers of the Pazzi ran into the plaza, killing at random.

A flash of another blade and Lorenzo grabbed the wound on his shoulder. Stefano da Bagnone, stood over the man, blood coating his knife. Then she saw them. Ezio rushed into the battle, protecting Lorenzo just as Desmond said he would and he was not far behind.

Making her way to their side, she flicked out her hidden blade, and rammed it into the unprotected back of an attacking soldier. A twisted smile spread across her face as the man's back arched, trying to get off of the sharp deadly blade that had taken his life so easily. His eyes glazed over as his body impacted with the ground.

Turning to her next victim, she blocked the oncoming sword with her bracer, feeling the jarring all the way to her teeth, but pushing past that, she drove the right blade below the sternum in an upwards motion, the steel entering the heart and taking his life.

Her father had made sure his daughter was a proficient killer. He had always told her not to let the victim suffer. She was there to end their lives, not let them linger in limbo until all of their blood had been spilled. He was a wise man, and Isabella had made a promise to honor those teachings for as long as she drew breath.

Killing one more guard, she spied Ezio at Lorenzo's side, combating Francesco and his guards. Desmond was pinned down, unable to render assistance to the Italian assassin, so it fell onto her shoulders. She rolled between two guards and blocked a blow meant for Ezio's unguarded back.

He must have heard the sound of steel hitting steel behind him, and he called over his shoulder. "You have my thanks."

"Anytime." She smiled and rammed the hilt of a sword she had taken from one of the men, into the face of a man to her right, while trying to keep the soldiers from getting too close to him.

"Isabella?" He asked as he slashed open the throat of a man that came between him and Francesco. He dropped like a stone, spilling his life blood onto the paving blocks.

She ducked a sword swing, and as she came back onto her feet, drew her blade over the throat of another man. "You sound surprised." She jested with him, and hissed as the tip of a rather large sword grazed her left bicep. She could feel the blood running down her arm, soaking into the fabric. It would require a few stitches to close the wound, but she would worry about that later when the fighting had stopped.

He danced around a few men, sending them to their deaths in quick secession. "I want answers when this is done." She heard him growl and she just merely shook her head before sparing a glance over at Desmond. He had just finished off the last of the guards that had his dance card and was sprinting their way.

"Retreat!" The call was made and Francesco and the remaining men ran out of the plaza, leaving many bodies behind. The stones beneath their feet were turning a sickly shade of brown from the quickly drying blood mixing with the dust that covered the street.

Isabella faced a rather pissed off Ezio, who's brown eyes were mere slits in his tanned face. If she was not an ally, she was fairly certain she would have been dead at that point in time. "Now talk." He growled, his voice menacing, but she had been through worse. Abstergo had men that all they were good for was torture. Go through that and you could handle anything life threw in your direction.

"You do not intimidate me, Ezio. Deal with Lorenzo first and after Francesco's life is no more, I will give you the answers you seek, but right now, you should deal with one problem at a time." She met his glare with one of her own.

She watched his lip curl up in a sneer, but said no more as he turned quickly, the blood splattered half cape brushing her chest as he walked over to where the Lorenzo was getting to his feet, hand over his neck, applying pressure to the wound.

Desmond stopped at her side. "I guess he found out." He watched the scene unfold from a relatively safe distance.

She nodded her head once. "Yeah. I kind of spoke. He was bound to find out sometime, but I was hoping to ease him into this little transition of my actual profession."

His arms crossed over his chest as he watched his ancestor. "Well, he is going to be pissed when he finds out the rest of it, or dies from a heart attack and I will have to be him for the rest of my life."

That actually got her to laugh, which she saw a smile cross his face. "No offense, but he looks better in the robes than you do, and your accent is well, rather atrocious."

Before the retort came, Ezio waved them over. They walked over, and his eyes met each of theirs. "Can you clear the way to the Palazzo Medici? Lorenzo had been hurt and we must get him there."

"You got it." Desmond nodded and grabbed her injured arm. She cried out a bit, and he released. "You're hurt."

Her hand flew up to cover the wound. "It's not that bad. I'll clean it up when we're done." She looked at him, and his lips were set in a thin line. "Don't give me that look. If I say I'm fine, then that means I'm fine. Get over it." And with that, she headed in the direction of the palazzo.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Desmond stood guard with Isabella as Ezio talked inside with Lorenzo de' Medici. He stood on one side of the door, while she stood on the other like silent sentinels. He glanced over at her, and the slice in the upper part of her sleeve.

"You know you should really wrap that up. If that gets infected here, you could die." He finally spoke.

She grunted. "I know, but it's really not that bad. It's not like it's gushing blood everywhere." She looked at him from under the depths of her scarlet hood. Her green eyes were bright against the color.

"Stubborn woman." He growled as his eyes looked down the small alley they were in. Ezio had taken to the back door of the palazzo. He knew that the fighting would carry over into the streets more soon. Francesco had men everywhere.

"Mother hen." She gave a smile and pushed off the wall. "Look, I will be fine. I doubt it'll need that much stitching and if it does, you can say I told you so, alright?" She stopped in front of him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "But thank you for caring. I mean that."

Reaching up, he laid his hand over her smaller one "You are reckless, Isabella."

She opened her mouth to speak, but the door opened and Ezio walked out, face a mask of calm, which he knew was a lie. The man was fuming on the inside. "We need to find Francesco." He looked at the two of them.

"Signore! Signore!"

Three heads turned to look at two guards running over. Ezio met them as they came to a stop in front of them. "Francesco has been spotted climbing to the top of the Palazzo della Signoria." He sounded out of breath. Most likely from running the distance he had.

Desmond already knew where the man was, but could not reveal that. He just had to let a few things play out the way that they were supposed to. He wanted to tell, sure, but he couldn't mess with the fabric of history. One false move, one kernel of knowledge to the wrong person, and the future that he knew who cease to exist.

As Ezio talked to the guards, he pulled Isabella closer. "Are you able to climb with your arm like that?"

She looked up at him. "Yes, it's really not that bad."

He looked at the bloody mess that was her left arm. He could see the cut was wide, but it did not seem that deep. "I want you to stay behind us and come up the side. There is a shit ton of archers all over that place. Can you thin the ranks?"

A grin threatened to split her face. "That I can do." And she reached into the pouch that contained his throwing knives. "I just need a few of these. I'm running low and I don't have time to stop and get anymore."

He watched her pocket them with a frown. "You know, all you had to do was ask."

"Well what fun would that be?" She still had the grin on her face.

He opened his mouth, but Ezio came walking up. "I require your help once more."

Isabella turned the smile on him. "Whatever you need, my friend. We are here to help with anything."

"Will you help me take down Francesco?" He asked.

Desmond clasped his ancestor on the shoulder. "You got it."

A smile spread across his face "Thank you." Then he looked at Isabella. "I would like to apologize for my actions and words towards you. I should not have been surprised to see that it was you under those robes."

Her smile softened, and she enveloped him in a hug. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You have had a lot of shit dumped on you, and me doing this was not very tactful. I should have eased you into before now. For that I am sorry."

Desmond's teeth began to grind when Ezio's hug lasted longer than it should have. He knew he should not be acting like that, but damn it! "Alright, we have a job to do. Let' get to it." He snapped.

Isabella pulled back and gave him a surprised look, but recovered quickly. "Let's head out boys."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Ezio ran ahead of Miles and Isabella. The two behind him began to take out the archers that was stationed around and atop the Palazzo della Signoria. He would dispatch them when the left the room, but they were proficient and their aim true. If he was a novice, he would be wide eyed with wonder, but he was not that starry eyed youth he once was. He was a trained assassin, and he would not be distracted by knife play, or throwing skills. Even though, it was well done.

Launching himself across a rather large gap in the buildings, he grabbed the ledge in the nick of time, then hauled himself to his feet, and took off once more. Arrows rained down around them, and he narrowly avoided becoming an archer's living dummy.

A knife flew over his head, and the archer fell from his perch on the rooftop across the way. He tuned his head to see Miles standing there, the broken shaft of an arrow sticking out of his thigh. Isabella was nowhere to be seen.

Ezio made his way to the other man's side. "Are you able to continue?"

He shook his head no. "Go on without me. Isabella is somewhere around here. She will go with you." He leaned against a chimney and looked down at the broken shaft. "Damn that hurts like a son of a bitch." He gritted his teeth as his hand laid near the wound.

"I will be back for you." Ezio laid a hand on Miles' shoulder. "Do not move."

Miles barked out a painful laugh. "Don't worry about that. I don't think I will be doing that anytime soon. So go on. That man needs what is coming to him."

With a swift nod, he took off once more. Over the peaked roofs and dodging the taller chimneys, he caught sight of a flash of red leaping through the air and disappearing onto the part of the palazzo that was being rebuilt. He took the very same path and as he rolled back to his feet, he saw that she was surrounded by at least five men. Some in heavy armor.

Avoiding a pole arm, he drove his blade into the unprotected neck of a heavily armored man, and he crumpled to the ground. Isabella slashed another man across the belly, causing him to move backwards, right onto Ezio's blade. His eyes widened as he realized what had just happened, but then, he too, was dead. His body joining his comrade in the growing pile at their feet.

Once all the men were taken care of, he looked at Isabella, who was bent over, trying to regain some wind. As he came closer, she held up a hand. "Get going. I need to rest a minute. I think you can handle the rest of them."

"Are you sure?" He asked. She straightened up and nodded once.

"I'm sure. Stab him once for me." The edge of her lip quirked up, giving him a lopsided smile. In which he returned.

"I will be swift." And he took off up the ladder that was nearby.

Dispatching the remaining men was not hard, and a frightened Francesco dove from the building. He followed in hot pursuit. As he exited the cart, his target was running like the rat he was across the plaza and towards the narrow streets. Ezio knew he was faster by far, and poured everything he had left into the chase.

As he rounded the corner, he saw the man attempting to climb a stack of crates, trying in vain to make it to the roofs once more, but using the last knife, he launched it into his back, and felt an evil grin twist his lips as Francesco fell from the crates onto the paving stones. He scramble to his feet, but could not move fast enough as Ezio was on top of him in mere seconds, hidden blade poised to attack.

Wrapping his hand into the dark, greasy hair, Ezio pulled his head backwards until Francesco was looking up at him, dark eyes pleading for him to let him go. There was no second chance. There would be no release. There would be only death. Letting his arm drift up a bit, he thrust with all the strength he possessed and the first thing he felt was the warm, thick blood beginning to coat his hand. Then he saw the life bleed from the man's eyes. It was a satisfying ending to a twisted, corrupt man such as the one he watch die.

"Requiescat en pace, Francesco." He withdrew his blade, watching the blood drip down from the viscous point, and through the air, until it splattered into the dirt. His hand untangled itself from the victim and the following thump let him know that the body was on the ground.

He walked away, cape billowing around him.

**Kind of a dark ending to the chapter, but I thought it was fitting. Been kind of in a bad mood all day and this is what came of it. I think I went a little graphic. Oh, in other news. My husband told me where he is taking me for our anniversary. He is taking me to my first comic con! I am such a geek! But I digress. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. See ya!**


	8. Chapter 8

Desmond drew his fist back to punch the doctor in the face as he pulled the remaining arrow shaft out of his thigh. He felt Ezio grab his arm as two guards held down his legs. "Warn a guy next time when you're about to do that." He growled as he tried to pull away from everyone, but they held fast and kept him down. "Let me go."

The doctor was bent over a small table, mixing something in an old mortar and pestle. "Messere, you must stay calm. If you do not, I will have one of these men put you down for a time."

Resigning himself to this, well, for a lack of better word, torture, he met Ezio's eyes. "You can let me go now. I'm not going to hit anyone, or anything, and I'll stay on this table until the good doctor is done." He looked at the doctor once more. "You are a doctor, right?"

That got a chuckle from the man dressed in black. "Yes, young man, I am a doctor. Now, I will stitch the wound closed and apply a salve and wrap to possibly prevent infection."

Desmond arched a brow. "Possibly?" He did not like the sound of that. He knew the death rate in this time frame was not the best, but he didn't want to be on that list that had fallen to an injury that the doctors in his time would have laughed at.

"Come now. I have done this for many people and they have all lived. I believe I know what I am doing." He smiled and held up the threaded needle. "Now, will you need to be held down once more, or are you going to sit there like a good child that you are?"

Holding up a finger, he glared. "First of all, I am not a child and second," he held up one more finger, "quit treating me like I am."

"Then stop acting like one." And he poised himself over the wound. "This will only hurt but a minute." And he felt the needle slip into the tender flesh around the wound.

Hissing, he grabbed the edges of the table and looked at Ezio. "Where has Isabella ran off to?" He asked, trying to take him mind off of what was going on.

Ezio stood there in fascination as the doctor sewed the wound closed. "Getting her wound seen to I would believe. At least that is what she has told me, but that was before the doctor began on your leg. I should go find her."

The pain was reaching a point that he could barely tolerate. "Damn! Don't you have anything to numb the area before you do that?" He yelled at the doctor, raising his head up a bit to see the older man.

"I am working as fast as I can. You must deal with the pain until I have completed this, and then I will be able to give you something for the pain." He never looked back, but kept his eyes keenly on his work.

Three. Four. Five. The pain was mounting and the feeling in his hands was slowly leaving him as he was gripping the table too hard. Sound began to fade, and he turned to look at Ezio through a darkened tunnel, then it all faded to black.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

"He will be fine with some rest." The doctor replied as he began to gather up his things. Miles was passed out on the table. "He may have a mouth, but he can not tolerate pain well."

Ezio snickered. "I must agree with you there. Now, will you kindly point me in the direction of my other friend. She was the one that had the nasty cut on her arm."

"Oh, the lovely young woman?" He nodded. "She is resting. Messere de' Medici extended his hospitality to you and your friends for saving his life. Now, if you shall need my skills later, do not hesitate to send for me."

Giving a slight bow, Ezio watched the man leave. Lorenzo walked in a moment later, followed by two guards. "Please make sure he gets a nice room." He spoke to his guards, and then addressed him. "You have my thanks for what you did back there at the Duomo, Ezio."

He watched the guards gather Miles up and carry him out of the room. "It was the least I could do for everything you had done in the past for my family. I just wish I could have saved your brother." He spoke honestly, watched Lorenzo turn his head. "I am just glad that you are now safe from them, Messere Lorenzo."

A small smile was present on the other man's lips. "He goes to God now. I will see him once again when it is my time, but I hope that is not for some time now." He waved him forward and out into the palazzo. "Now, I would like you and your friends to rest here for the night. It has been a long and tiring day. It is the least I can do for you" Ezio went to protest, but was silenced by a look. "I will not take no for an answer, Ezio. You saved the life of my wife, and my own, brought the killer of my brother to justice and brought peace to Firenze once more. I own you a debt that can not be repaid that lightly."

"Messere, you do not need to do this for us. It is too much." He walked beside Lorenzo though the halls.

Lorenzo chuckled. "Nonsense. You have done more for me this day than I can repay. Let me at least make sure you rest in comfort."

He knew no amount of arguing would accomplish anything, so he bowed his head. "Then I shall accept your hospitality. Thank you."

"Now, I will show you where your friends are. I am having their clothing mended and their armor repaired now. I would like to do the same for yours as well. I know how you assassins are with your belongings." He gave a knowing smile as thy headed up the stairs to the second floor.

Ezio stopped in his tracks. "How do you know about what we are?"

"I know because our father was one. He saved me when I was but a child. I was about to drown in the river, but your father pulled me to safety. From that moment on, there was a prosperous relationship between our families. I would like to continue with you." He stopped and laid a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"I would be honored." He smiled broadly and watched Lorenzo do the same.

"Then come. I will show you to your room and you may rest for the night. These rooms will always be open for whenever you need them." And they finished their walk in silence.

Once Ezio was in his room, Lorenzo had sent for his things to have them repaired. He relaxed in bed, the sounds of the night drifting through the window. How he had missed the sounds of the city. The people walking around. The sights, smells and the energy. It was something that he had longed for and thought about.

The sounds from outside the window began to work their magic on him, and his eyelids began to droop, but something else caught his ear. Voices that he knew. One male and one female. Miles and Isabella's voices floated in on the wind.

'You are going to have to tell him sooner rather than later, Desmond. I told, and now you are going to have to tell. We don't know when we are going to get home, or of we are going to ever get there.' Isabella sounded upset, and he sat up, and walked to the balcony.

'But if I tell that could impact everything we know. I mean one slip, one mess up and I will no longer be. You know what I'm saying, Isabella.' That was Miles. So who was Desmond?

Poking his head around the edge of the open door, he saw no one occupied the balcony, so he walked out, but kept listening. 'Damn it! We can't keep going like this! One of us is going to get killed and there is no reset. No restarting from the beginning of the memory. We will be dead, and no one in our families will know what the hell happened to us. I don't know about you, but I want to see my parents again someday.'

As quietly as he could, he made the leap to Miles' balcony and hugged the wall. They did not hear him, which was good, but he knew he should not be listening in on their private conversation. 'I know what you're feeling. I know you want to go home, but it's going to be a few years until the Apple is found. I mean, it's only 1478.'

Huh? Now he was completely confused. They were talking like they knew of future events. And what is this Apple they spoke of? He knew he should walk away, to leave before he was caught, but he had to know the answers, and so he listened on.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Isabella paced the room, while Desmond sat on the bed. She was in pain from the cut on her arm, and completely aggravated at him for not wanting to reveal anything to Ezio. She knew they had to tell. He was eventually going to find out. They both were plagued by horrid nightmares. She was lucky that all her's were of Paola's memories, and she could play them off as her own, but he was having nightmares of all of his ancestors.

"Isabella, you're just going to have to wait until a better time. I know you want him to know, but you know what's at stake. We could be trapped here, and telling him would not solve anything. We just have to ride this out, and help him where we can." Desmond hung his head, and sighed. "You need to calm down."

She spun around. "Fuck you alright! I don't want to be stuck here. I want to go home! If you had just listened to Minerva and let history repeat, I would not be in this mess. Hell, if you had not run away from the Farm, you wouldn't be here either!" She damn near screamed at him. "No, you had to let Juno out. You thought that would fix everything!" She said sarcastically. "But all it did was get your ass fried, sent back here, along with me! I don't want to be here! I want to be in my nice soft bed, reading girlie magazines and debating on getting my nails done, not running for my life from archers, men with large hand weapons, or people at want to kill all assassins."

He stood, a grimace on his face as he put pressure on the wounded leg, but he walked over to her. He turned her to face him, and looked down into her eyes. "I understand what you are going though, Isabella. Do you really think I want to be here? Look, I know I told you we have to wait, and I feel bad about it, but I have no clue where the damn Apple is at this moment in time. Hell,we may have to be in Minerva's temple for all I know. I think it was her that sent us back here."

She felt the sobs come and without thinking, she launched herself into his arms, tears coming from her eyes like a waterfall. "I just want to go home!" She wailed. "I know I sound like a child, but I don't care!"

Isabella felt helpless. She had never been this far removed from anything she knew, or anyone that she was related to. For the first time in her life, she felt alone, and even though she had Desmond there, he was not family. Two years had passed since her arrival there and she grew more lonely as the years drug on.

"Isabella, I will do everything in my power to get you home. I told you that before and I mean it again, but I have no clue on how to do it now. Please, just give me some more time." He rubbed her back and held her close as she cried, but it gave her little comfort.

"That's one thing we have a lot of, Des. I mean, either we are going to get stuck here, or we are going to get home." She sighed and held onto him. He was her anchor right now. The one thing that she had from her time. From where she should be. "What if we don't make it back? What if there isn't a way home for us?" That was something that had been eating at her for years now.

"Then we'll have to make the best of it." He sighed. "We are assassins, and we can adapt. It's just going to have to be something we'll have to get used to."

They both fell silent. She didn't want to get used to being here, and the thought of her actually staying here until her dying breath did not sit well in her stomach. "Desmond?"

"Huh?" He asked.

"Are you ever going to tell Ezio who you are?"

He pulled back from her, a frown on his face. "No. That could..." But she finished it off.

"I know, I know, change the course of history. Yada, yada, yada. I've heard you say it before, but he has a right to know who you are. He should know." She wiped her tears with the palm of her hand. "You know if he finds out another way, like walking in in the middle of one of your nightmares, he is going to flip the hell out. Did you know you have a tendency to yell in Arabic when you dream of Altair." She giggled a bit and walked over to the bed with him.

He sat down next to her. "What about you? You scream in Italian."

"Honey, I speak Italian as a second language. I learned that when I was really little. My dad was born here in Italy. My mom is American. Born and raised in the heart of the Alabama cotton farms. Southern as you can get." Isabella smiled at the memories of the odd pair her parents were.

"How did they meet? I mean, that is a strange combination. Now I know where you get your temper." He wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her to his side.

She smiled brightly. "Dad was brought over in his late teens for more training with the assassins in the states. Well, he was on a training mission down in the bayou, and got lost." When her dad told her that part, she always laughed at that. A full fledged assassin got lost in a swamp. "Well, Mom was studying botany at the University of Alabama. They were on a trip to study the fauna that grew wild in the Louisiana swamps.

"Dad thought that her group was his group, and decided to scare them. Gave my mom the scare she had never had, and she sprayed him in the face with pepper spray. Once he was able to see, and she got her heart under control, they laughed about it, and he explained what had happened. They began dating shortly after that. Dad said he fell in love with Mom's southern accent, and Mom said she did the same with his accent." She looked up at Desmond. "Thanks."

He looked confused. "For what?"

"Cheering me up. I may not have them here with me, but they will always be at my side." She leaned back into him. "I think I am ready to go back to sleep for the night. Maybe you will have a change of heart in the morning." She stood up, and smiled at him. "Goodnight Desmond."

"Night Bella." He smiled back, and for once, she didn't mind that he shortened her name.

She walked back to her room, and closed the door silently, but as she made her way to the large bed that lay in the room, something caught her eye. Ezio walked from the darkened corner, a small blade in his hand. Her eyes widened as she looked from him to the blade. "E...Ezio, what are you doing in my room? With a knife?" She backed up towards the door, but he glared at her.

"I want answers, Isabella, and I want them now." He stalked closer and she felt the sweat begin to bead on her brow with each step he took towards her.

"Like what? I told you who I was." She gulped and her back hit the door. He stood right in front of her, and left her little room to move.

His hands hit the places next to her head, and she yelped. "What is Miles' real name?" He growled, and she felt the blood rush from her face.

"I don't know." She cried. Hopefully she could play the dumb card once.

"I heard the two of you talking. I heard you call him 'Desmond'. Is that his name?" He got closer and she saw the golden sheen that was the legendary Eagle Vision. "Answer me Isabella."

And that was when she knew they were sunk. "Ye...yes. His real name is Desmond, Desmond Miles." She took in a shaky breath. What would he do next? She had never seen him this mad. Yeah, he was upset at her when he found out about her being an assassin, but not to the point that he would do bodily harm. Now, she was not so certain that he would not stop before he would kill her.

"You spoke of an apple? What is it?" He backed up an inch, and she could breath once more.

"That's hard to explain." Beyond hard. It was damn near impossible for her because she had only seen it once that was from Paola's memories. "I can try, but please let me sit down first."

A nod was his only reply as he backed up, and moved to the side for her to pass. She took a seat on the bed, and patted the area next to her. He shook his head. Cocking her brow, she looked at him. "If you want the whole truth, you might want to sit down. This might take awhile, and I am talking about a few hours."

Ezio rolled his eyes, but took a seat next to her. "Now talk."

And she spilled her guts. "It started a few days after my twenty-fourth birthday. I was dating this guy named Ryan. What I didn't know at the time was he was a Templar and knew who I was..."

**Wow! Ezio is really pissed. It won't last long, I assure you. Hope you enjoyed it. See ya!**


	9. Chapter 9

**And I have returned! And I bring new content and drama to the lives of our assassins. Please enjoy the following contents of this chapter. **

Isabella watched Ezio pace the length of the bedroom that they currently occupied. He had been doing that for the last half hour at least. Since she got done with the final part of her tale. His eyes were cast on the floor and he barely looked at her. She sat on the edge of the bed, arms wrapped around the bedpost, and green eyes watching him intently.

"Ezio." She called his name, and he finally ceased his pacing to look at her, eyes guarded, not revealing anything that was going on in his mind. "Will you talk to me now?"

"I...I am still trying to understand everything that you have spoken to me. I understand it to be truth, but you are from the distant future?" She nodded. "And so is Desmond?" She nodded once more. "Yet, you sit here in this room with me, wearing robes that Paola gave you, and tales of such things that I could never dream of. Leonardo, he could dream of things such as what you have told me, but I can not fathom them."

At least he was talking and looking at her. That was a start. "I know it's a lot to take in, but please, it's the truth, plain and simple. I've wanted to tell you for awhile now, but it was not my place. Since you are an ancestor to Desmond's, that was his story to tell." She stood, her bare feet silent on the floor as she made her way to him. "Please, don't be mad at us. It wasn't that we were trying to deceive you. It's just that we were afraid."

His eyes met hers, the guarded look gone, and all she saw were more questions. Also hurt. She had hurt him by not trusting him. "Isabella, I am not mad, I swear to you, but I want to know why you did not trust me?"

Reaching up, she moved a stray hair from in front of his eyes. "It's not that we didn't trust you, Ezio. It's just you become so important in the assassin's cause that one slip up, one wrong thing said, and Desmond could cease to exist. If you were to not marry later in life, and have children, so many things would be affected. If you hadn't finished you mission against the men that wronged your family, you would never go on the voyage that changes you." And it broke her heart to know that she had to keep so many things from him still, but time had to go on. It had to stay the way it had always been.

Ezio rested a hand on her shoulder, and she watched his eyes close. He was troubled by what she had told him, and now she wished she had just walked away from Desmond last night when they began to argue. That way Ezio would not have heard anything, and she would not be standing in this very room with him, telling most of what she knew to him.

"I wish I could completely understand. It will take time for me to come to an understanding that you are no mere assassin and neither is the man that I call friend. You are from a future that hangs in the balance. What would happen if I was to walk away now?" He asked, eyes reopening, and his hand sliding up to cup her cheek. "If I was to place the blade down now, and leave. What would happen to your future?"

Too many scenarios ran through her mind. "I wouldn't have one. Desmond would not be here, and all assassins would be hunted until we were nothing but a memory in the Templars' minds. They would rule everything and the world would be their playground." A tear ran down her cheek. "My family are assassins. My ancestors are assassins. So, if you were to leave, I would be erased from time as well."

They watched each other for a time, not knowing what to say, until he spoke once more. "I will not do that. You and Desmond have become the only true friends that I have. If you will keep me on the right path, I will do what is needed to ensure that your future comes to pass."

A smile broke out on her face, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you Ezio." She whispered into his shoulder.

His arms held her to him. "You are welcome."

Once they released, she took a step back. "I think you should head to bed. I'll let Desmond know what I've told you. He's going to be mad as hell, but oh well, I'm used to guys being mad at me." She brushed her hair back behind her ear. "Now, I guess we can talk more on our way back to the villa. I'm sure you will think of more questions before then."

Ezio chuckled. "I have one right now. I have been meaning to ask you. How old are you?"

"That is your burning question? My age?" He nodded, a sheepish look on his youthful face. "Twenty-six. That would put Des at twenty-seven."

"And you have not married yet?" He sounded completely surprised.

Giving him a dark look, she answered coldly. "I will marry when I'm ready. In my time, we don't marry unless we want to. When I find the one, I will let you know, but that is really hard to do when I am not even in my time, and I can't exactly find a guy back here, now can I?"

Taking a step back, he raised his hands. "I was just curious is all, Isabella, nothing more."

Sighing, she sat heavily on the bed. "Sorry. I have a problem about snapping at people who ask me that question."

"Then I am sorry." He stepped in front of her and she raised her head to look at him.

"It's cool." She gave him a small smile.

"Cool? How is that cool? The temperature has not changed?" His brows furrowed and Isabella could not help but laugh.

"No, no. In my time it's called an expression. Cool means okay or alright." She shook her head. "Oh boy, I'm going to have to keep watching what I say because I don't want to explain slang to you. That would be bad, and I could be here for the next few years."

He flashed her a bright smile. "I would not mind learning. Well I wouldn't if it was from a beautiful woman such as yourself."

She stood, and put a hand on his chest. "Slow your roll, Romeo. I am immune to Italian men and their wooing ways. My father taught me too much as I was growing up for you to charm me."

"Madonna, you wound me with your words. I was merely saying how lovely you are. Would you prefer for me to act the part of the bumbling idiot who can not find words to speak?" He grinned, and all she could do was roll her eyes.

"Go to bed, Ezio. We will talk more later." She shoved him towards the door.

He looked over his shoulder. "You did not answer my question?"

"And I'm not going to." The door opened and she pushed him out it. "Goodnight Ezio." And shut the door in his face.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

"Desmond."

He heard his name being called, but chose to lay there in the warmth of the blankets. "Desmond." His name was called again. "Wake up." Isabella.

"Go away, Isabella. It's not morning yet." He mumbled and pulled the blankets farther up over his head, trying to block out the annoying woman.

Hearing her growl, his eyes opened only to see his blankets come flying off, and her glaring at him from the foot of the bed. "When I say wake up, I mean wake up."

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he yawned, stretched, and grimaced at the tightness in his thigh. "Okay, I'm awake and I think alive. What's so damn important?" He pulled himself up to a sitting position and looked at her.

She crawled into the bed, bringing the blanket with her, and sat next to him. "Ezio overheard us talking."

His eyes widened as he turned and looked at her. "What did he hear?" He did not like the sound of that.

"All of it. About the Apple, me saying your name, all of it, Des." She sighed and hung her head. "I had to tell him. He was going to go ballistic on me, and so I told him what I knew."

Desmond sat there in stunned silence. Ezio knew who they were and where they were from. He knew it all. "How did he take it?" That was the first thing he could think of when his brain decided to finally form words once more.

"Surprisingly well. He has agreed to keep it to himself and not use the knowledge that I shared with him for anything other than reference." She looked at him. "And then I knew he was fine when he starting hitting on me." That part she smiled at.

For some reason, and he knew why, that pissed him off. "I hope you told him off." He told her in a flat tone. At least it did not come out that he was pissed. Which he was, but she didn't need to know that.

Isabella laughed at him. "Nope, we had sex and I sent him to bed."

His face must have changed every shade there ever was, because she began to laugh even harder. "You WHAT?!" He roared and gaped at her.

"You believe anything, you know that?" Grabbing him by the arm, she pulled him over to her. "I didn't do anything with him. I was just trying to pull your chain, and it worked. Besides, he's too young for me. There is damn near seven years between us. He's like a little brother." Her head rested on his arm. "You don't have anything to worry about in that department."

And he began to calm down. "That was mean, Isabella, really mean." But a smile pulled at his lips, and his arm found its way around her shoulders.

"I..." A yawn escaped her. "Know."

She snuggled into his side, and sighed. "So what's on the agenda for the morning?" Silence greeted him. Looking down he saw she had fallen asleep. Chuckling to himself, he slid her down along with himself until they were both laying down. "Night Bella." And lightly laid a chaste kiss on the top of her head.

He let his eyes drift close and the combined warmth of the blanket and the woman snuggled into his side lulled him back to a restful sleep.

The sun's morning rays woke him a few hours later, shining right into his eyes, bringing him out of the best sleep he had in years. No nightmares or weird shit. Just sleep, and he felt more relaxed than ever. Until the pain in his leg decided to rear its ugly head.

Gritting his teeth, he looked over at Isabella, who was still passed out next to him. "Hey." He shook her slightly, and watched her eyes flutter open. "Morning."

"I'm sorry." She mumbled as she realized where she was.

"For what?" Now he was confused.

"Falling asleep on you." Isabella went to roll out of the bed, but he grabbed her arm. "I need to go get ready."

"Isabella." She would not look at him. "I'm not sorry you fell asleep on me. Actually, that was the best sleep I have had in a long ass time."

"I'm glad you slept well. Now, I need to get ready for the day. I'll see you when you're ready." And she pulled her arm from his, walked out to the balcony and jumped over to hers, leaving him there with a lot of different shit running through his head.

Knowing that he was not going to get through any of it just laying on his ass, he climbed out of the bed, slipped into his outfit, and armor, and walked out of the room with a noticeable limp. His leg was killing him and what he wouldn't give for some pain killers.

Ezio saw him first and walked up to him. Desmond rubbed the back of his neck, as did Ezio. When they saw they were doing the same thing, they laughed. "I guess she was correct. We must be related." The Italian said with a smile.

"I guess it's kind of weird to find that out." He put his hand down and looked at his ancestor. Now that Ezio knew, maybe it wouldn't be so bad, unless he says the wrong thing and then it could get a little strange.

"It is, but I guess it will take some time for it to become something I grow accustomed to." Ezio merely shook his head. "I see Isabella has not made it out yet?" He looked down the hall for the woman.

"Nope. Give her a few minutes. She'll be out." He leaned forward, trying in vain to rub the cramp that was now traveling up his leg and trying to settle into the joint of his hip. Like hell he wanted to drag his leg around or have it look like he had a busted leg. Well, he did, but he had his pride to think about.

They leaned up against the wall, just standing there. Desmond tried to keep as much weight off the wounded leg as he could, but the pain was horrid. Now he wished to just crawl back into a nice warm bed, maybe with Isabella, and sleep some more. But that was off the agenda for today. The next thing on the list of their escapades was to head back to the villa and report in with Mario. From there they would begin the hunt for Jacopo de' Pazzi, and his conspirators.

"Did she fall back asleep?" He asked aloud to no one in particular.

"Would you like me to check on her?" Ezio asked, eying Isabella's bedroom door.

Before he got his chance to answer him, the woman in question walked out, hood pulled over her face and head bent low. Her weapons gleamed in the low light, and her steps were of one with purpose. "Let's go." Her voice sounded thick, like she had been crying, or yelling.

Ezio must not have picked up on it, but he did. "Isabella, you alright?" He asked with concern in his voice.

She nodded. "Yeah, just peachy." Stepping around him, she headed down the stairs.

They followed behind her, but Desmond knew something wasn't right with her. Ezio didn't either notice, or he was choosing to ignore it, but he was not about to let it go. Coming up behind her, he reached out to grab her shoulder, but she spun around and looked at him.

"Des, just drop it, alright? You don't have to play my nanny, or my protector. Even some demons you can't get rid of, so let it go." And she headed back in the direction she was heading, leaving him standing there scratching his head.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

They arrived back at the villa in a timely fashion. Ezio gave his report of their deeds and success to his uncle, who congratulated them on a job well done. Once everything was back where it should, and the new pages hung, he saw Isabella heading back into town.

"Isabella." He called after her. She stopped, her bag slung over her shoulder. "Where are you off to?"

"Back to Paola's. If you have need of me, you know how and where to find me." She readjusted the bag and looked at him.

"You may stay here in the villa with us. There is more than enough room, and Claudia would not mind having another woman around to chat with." He smiled and tried to get her to do the same, but her face stayed neutral.

She shook her head. "I think I need to go back there. That is where I belong. That is who I am. I will be an assassin when you need me to, but I am better at the other occupation right now."

He knew what she was talking about, and knowing what he knew about her now, that did not sit well. Not at all. "You no longer have to live that life, Isabella. You are an assassin, and you are a good one. You spoke last night of the nightmares you began to have when you first came here. Of the deeds you preformed. Do you want to continue that?"

"No, but..." She looked away, but he grabbed her chin to make her look back at him.

"I am not asking this time. I am telling. You will stay here. If not in the villa, then I will get you your own place in the village. If that is what you wish." He did not want she to leave for the city. He did not want her to return to that life. It was not for her.

"Ezio, I just don't want to be here." And she gestured to Monteriggioni. "Look, it's sweet of you to offer, but I think I should go back to stay with Paola. There is still things I can learn from her, and I can keep an eye on Firenze." She pulled away and began to walk down the stairs, but his next words stopped her in her tracks.

"What are you running from? Or should I say whom?" He crossed his arms over his chest, and watched her.

Her bag dropped to the stones under her feet and she turned, a glare narrowing her eyes. "I am not running from anything, Ezio. I never run."

He barked out a laugh. "That is what it seems that you are doing. Stay here and prove me wrong then."

Her feet carried her swiftly back in front of him. "I don't run. I am not a coward, and I'm leaving because I don't want to be here."

"Liar." He challenged her.

Her face turned scarlet like her robes. "No one calls a liar. No one."

"Then stay." He smirked.

"Fine." Marching back down, she grabbed her bag back up, and met his eye. "Show me to my room."

"Excellent." He smiled and gave a low bow at the waist. "Welcome to Monteriggioni, Madonna Isabella. It would be my pleasure to show you to your room."

Her glare stayed. "Cut the crap and lead on, show off."

"Right this way." And they walked into the villa together.

**Okay, I know it was very Isabella orientated chapter, but please roll with me. There will be bro bonding between Desmond and Ezio in the next chapter. I want to thank all of the new reviewers, followers, and faves. Every time I see someone new, it brings a smile to my face. Thanks to everyone yet again for dealing with me and my weirdness. Also, I am thinking about doing a follow up to Unconventional Alliance soon, so anyone that read that, keep an eye out for that. See ya later!**


	10. Chapter 10

The sun began to rise high upon the small town of Monteriggioni. It's bright morning rays shining into windows and doorways, wakings the residents from their slumber, to start another day. The mercenaries awoke to sharpen their skills in battle, the thieves flexed their bodies and their minds in hopes of going on a stealing spree, and the courtesans ran a brush through their hair, prepping their bodies for the entertainment of the men that called upon them. Then there was the assassins that roamed the narrow streets of the town.

The citizens of Monteriggioni welcomed them as one of their own. Sheltering them from the backlash of their profession. Never giving them pause to think they would turn them in. That was the one thing Desmond liked about the town and all of its inhabitants. They were like a large family. Messed up as the family was, but they would keep each other safe as the storms raged outside the gates. That was the meaning of being a family.

He smiled at the young children who used the streets as their playground. At the shopkeepers who tended to their merchandise, and the old women who gave him a ready smile to return the one that he would give to them. It was a save haven, a wonderland compared to where he had once some from. Where you do not know friend from foe, or who you could confide in. Even the ones that you think you know the best, could turn out to be your worse nightmare. The thought of Lucy and what she was at the time of her death still brought a cringe to him.

Pushing the thoughts of the blonde from his already frazzled mind, his new thoughts laid with a woman who sometimes would not give him the time of day. Literally. She was the only one of them with a working watch. The battery in his had died a year ago and they would not be invented for a few more hundred years.

Speaking of Isabella. He spied her leaving the house of an elderly lady that had taken a liking to the female assassin. She always stopped there when she was on her way to and from the villa. Helping the woman with chores that she could no longer do herself. That was one of the things that he liked about the woman. She had a kind heart, but was vicious with a blade when it was called for.

"Isabella!" He called out her name, announcing to her that he was there.

She turned her head, green eyes watched him as he stopped in front of her. "Morning Desmond." She gave him a small smile. "What are you doing out here so early? I would have figured Mario would be putting you through the ringer for that accident you caused yesterday in the sparring ring."

He rubbed the back of his head and his face turned a shade of crimson that he knew she loved to make him turn. "You heard about that, huh?"

She laughed and took his arm, and began to walk towards the villa. "I may not train with you and Ezio, but I still know everything that's been going on up there. I am surprised you're even out. That was the dumbest thing I had ever heard."

"Hey, for my defense if I was allowed to use my own weapons that would not have happened." He countered her, but could not help but smile at her laughter.

"You broke the sword over the rail and then stood there like a buffoon, staring at the broken hilt. Mario told me that he was about to pick up the blade and whack you across the ass with it. You know that was his favorite sword." She shook her head as they walked up the stairs.

"I know, but I didn't know it would do that. I mean come on, cut me some slack here. It wasn't like I meant to do it. I slipped and that was when the blade hit the rail. It shouldn't have broke like that." He pulled his hood up over his face to hid the blush of embarrassment that was growing ever so steadily on his tanned features. If his eyes could,they would be blushed as well.

She patted his arm. "I know, I am only picking on you, Des. It's fun and you make it really easy."

Clearing his throat, he thought a change of topic was in order. "So when are you heading back to Firenze?" She had been staying with Paola for a few months now. Since her and Mario's guard captain had exchanged rather heated words and blood had been drawn. The man had not been able to lift a sword right since, and she sported a few rather nasty scars on her body from that encounter.

Isabella released him, and looked at the ground. "Actually, I am heading to Venice. Teodora needs some help and Paola would like me to go. I leave tomorrow morning."

Desmond's heart fell to his feet. He thought she was going to be coming back to Monteriggioni, but now, now she was heading to Venice. "When are you coming back?"

Shrugging, she pushed a rock with the toe of her boot. "Don't know. I think Paola just wants me out of the city because too many men have been dropping over dead. Well, the ones that have been giving the girls a hard time. But I think a change is in order anyway. I was growing tired of that city anyway, and I am kind of forbidden to come and stay in the villa."

The night of the exchange, her wounds had been tended to by the local doctor and she stayed at the old woman's house until she was fit to travel. That was when Mario and Paola both decided to send her back to Firenze. It was the safest bet for them to stay alive. She would come back every few days and help her, out of respect for what the woman had done for her.

"That's not fair!" My outburst made her look at me funny. "You're really the only one I can talk to here and now you're going somewhere else!"

She reached up and cupped my cheek. "You'll be fine, Desmond. I mean, it's really only a day's ride from here and then a few days on ship. You can come visit when you want."

I shook my head. "Ezio doesn't go to Venice for another few years."

Smiling, she moved a bit closer. "Then maybe you can speed it up a little bit. You have the knowledge. Use it to your advantage, or just come with me. I'm sure there will be a spot for you if I ask."

The offer was tempting. Really tempting, but he knew where he was needed. "No, I need to stay here. We're going after Jacopo and his men tomorrow. Actually, I was hoping that you could go with us. Three is always better than two." He gave her his best puppy dog face, and she peaked his cheek.

"Sorry hon, I have to get on the road tomorrow, or you know I would stay and help. Maybe I'll get a lead on the Apple while I'm there." Taking her hand back, she walked past him. "Come on. At least we can spend the day together."

That was something he could get behind.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Ezio crouched on the wall with Desmond one section up, watching Jacopo de' Pazzi walk with his guardsman down the way to the ruins where the meeting was to take place. Both men watched intently as the men that were posted around the entrance followed the last of the Pazzi men into the amphitheater.

He raised his hand and pointed to the cart just below and to the right of them. Desmond nodded in response. Ezio dove off first, rolled out and was joined a moment later by the older man. Together, they dispatched the remaining guards that the entrance and moved silently into the ruins with none being the wiser of their advance.

Once they were inside, Desmond grabbed his arm. "Be careful, Ezio. They will not go easy on you. I will hang back and wait for your signal."

The Italian nodded and watched him blend into the shadows that surrounded the ancient brick walls that surrounded them. He crept behind the closest pillar as they began to talk. As he watched on, Rodrigo Borgia pulled out a knife from his back and before he could say or do anything, he watched in horror as the Spaniard plunged the knife into the old man's chest repeatedly until Jacopo lay on the ground in a growing pool of his own blood. His life slowly leaving him.

"Come out assassin." Borgia called into the darkness and before he could move, hands grabbed him from behind. He saw Desmond step from the shadows, but he shook his head slightly, signaling him to stay where he was. The other man melted back into the darkness.

The guards drug him down in front of the Spaniard. Rodrigo looked him up and down. "You are not much, are you boy?"

He tugged at his arms, but the men held fast. "Enough to go against you and your men."

Rodrigo waved him off. "Kill him." And with that, he walked away with his entourage, leaving Ezio with a few guards.

"I mean you no harm. Release me and I will spare your lives." He looked both men, but they snickered thinking that they had him and he would die. They did not know of his secret. The assassin's hidden blade.

The last thing they heard before he took their lives was the sound of the blades unsheathing, and he thrust them into the exposed flesh right below their helmets. They dropped to the ground, but were quickly replaced by more men that were left to make sure that he did not return from the dead.

Desmond joined the fight and quickly and efficiently they made short work of the men that surrounded them. He then turned his attention to Jacopo, who surprisingly, had not succumb to his wounds. He bend over the men, who had a trail of blood running from his mouth. "Where have they run to?"

"Venice. They leave for Venice." His voice was nothing more than a faint whisper in the air.

Doing what needed to be done, he looked down at the left blade that was already coated in blood, and he plunged it though the man's back, through the heart, and Jacopo's final breath rattled out of an unmoving chest. The deed had been done. He knew where his mission was to take him next.

"We ride for home and then to Venice in the morning."

The only problem was, things had a way of stopping even the best laid plans.

**November 1481**

After saving Leonardo and his work, then helping the Countess of Forli, they headed by boat to Venice. Ezio found Desmond at the bow of the ship, looking out at the open water. "Something troubling you, my friend?"

Desmond looked at him, his eyes troubled and his lips in a thin line. "I'm just worried. I mean, it's been some time since I saw Isabella last. Almost two years. Do you think she's still even here?"

He clasped his descendant's shoulder. "I am on good authority that Isabella is indeed still in the city. She had not left and will be waiting to greet us at the docks when we arrive. I was informed before we boarded that she will be there."

He sighed in relief. "She's probably going to be pissed at me. I know she is. Hell, I haven't even sent her a letter, or anything."

He laughed at Desmond. "I am sure she will be glad to see the two of us. Just as she always has been. Do not fret so. I am sure everything will be fine."

"Easy for you to say. You can get the ladies to talk to you with little to no effort. If I even try to talk to that woman, I act like an idiot and say the dumbest things." He looked back over the water. "I guess I take after Ratonhnhake:ton in that aspect."

Ezio laid his arms on the sturdy wooden rail. "I have been meaning to ask you this, but who is this man you talk about?"

"Ratonhnhake:ton?" Ezio nodded. "He's one of my ancestors from colonial America. He is half English and Mohawk. Great fighter, idiot when it came to many things." Desmond shook his head, and his eyes looked down at his hands. "Well, I wouldn't say idiot. More like naive. He was raised away from the Templar/Assassin struggle. He really knew nothing about it until he was pulled into it against his will and really he did it for revenge against one man.

"I saw so much of his life and felt what he felt. I know what he knew. Know about his loss and his gains. He was naive when it came to the world, but he learned to adapt." His eyes closed and a sigh passed his lips.

"It seems you admire him." Ezio gave him a sideways look. Did the man feel the same way about him, he wondered. "I have heard you talk about your other ancestors as you sleep. Do you dream of all of us, or they nightmares?"

Desmond's eyes reopened and he turned his gaze on him. "Some of both, I guess. It's hard to explain at times. I have seen things that people are not supposed to see. I have lived so many lives that sometimes I have trouble picking the real me out of the lives I have lived through. Many times I catch myself talking in Arabic like Altair, pacing the floor and thinking out loud about the Apple and it's hidden mysteries. Sometimes, I find myself thinking about your darkest fears and secrets. About your brothers and father and if I, sorry, you had just been a bit faster and less eager to trust, they would still be here. Then I remember, that is not me. That is not Desmond Miles. I have to bring myself back to my reality and center myself, and sometimes it gets really hard to do."

This was not something he was familiar with. This knowledge was new to him, and it was something Desmond had only recently shared with him. It was new, scary and truthfully, fascinated him to no end. To know that the man that stood by his side had once lived through his life. Seen what he had seen and knew what was to become of him. There was much that he was withholding, but Ezio knew that it was for the best that he did not know everything that was to come to pass.

"You are you, no matter what flaws you believe you have. You are you because of the lives you have seen. Answer me this simple question." Desmond nodded, and he continued. "If you had not lived these lives, do you believe that you would be here today?"

"No, I know I wouldn't. I would probably still be hiding from the world. Not really living a life. Just basically surviving from day to day." He sighed once more. "Either that, or I would be dead. Shot in the head by a guy would wanted my money."

"That can still happen here, but you are now better able to handle it. You have become something greater because of what you have gone through. Just as I have as well. I do not know where I once heard this, but it is fitting in this situation. 'From great tragedy, comes a greater understanding of the world you live in.' I believe that to be truthful. What do you believe?" He smiled slightly and was surprised when Desmond did the same.

"You know, you're right. Like I said, I would still be hiding from the world and not really caring what the hell happened around me. I guess if I hadn't been taken and then freed, I know I would not be where I am today." He chuckled and hung his head. "Now do me a favor."

It was Ezio's turn to laugh. "And what would that be?"

"Don't go all philosophical on me anymore. It's enough to make my brain hurt when you do that. I have enough shit up there and when you do that, it makes my head want to explode." He grinned as he raised his head.

All he could do was laugh. "That in itself, may be entertaining to witness."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Being still was not one of her strong suits, but she knew she had to be here. She was told by Antonio and Teodora both to make sure Ezio and Desmond were to arrive in Venice in good health. If that meant she was to protect them from the Templars that now hunted them like dogs, then that was what she was to do. She was not thrilled about this new mission. She was to see them off the boat, to their rendezvous point and then meet back up with Teodora.

The ship that carried the guys came to rest against the dock and the gangplank was lowered for passengers to depart. Ezio and Desmond were the first to depart, with Leonardo on their heels. That man turned up in some of strangest places, but she knew some of his history that he had worked for a time in Venice, and had a home there at one point in his life.

The painter was the first to spot her standing next to a lone cart, her hands clasped behind her back, crimson robes carefully pressed and pristine. It had been a few months now since she had last donned them. She was either in a courtesan's clothing, or average clothing for a woman of this time period. She was no longer an assassin as she stayed in the city. She had become a spy for the thieves and the courtesan leaders of Venice.

A wide smile spread across the artisan's face. "Isabella! So good to see you!" And he wrapped her in a fierce hug.

The air that was once in her lungs rushed out as the man before her squeezed just a bit too tight, and she could feel her body screaming for life giving air. "Leonardo, let go! Can't breathe!" She wheezed.

He released her and she took in as much of the salty sea air as her body would allow. "I am terribly sorry, Isabella. Please forgive my actions. I had no intentions of harming you in any way."

She let out a weak chuckle and held up her hand. "No blood, no foul, Leonardo. I think I'm still in one piece, so it's alright. It's good to see you as well." Then she addressed the other two men. "It's good to see you two as well." And she gave them each a kiss on the cheek. "Come on. I'll show you around."

As they were about to take off, a man walked up and introduced himself as a guide for Leonardo. Ezio trailed off to follow his friend, leaving the two time travelers standing there, an awkward silence filling the air.

"Desmond, I..."

"Isabella, sorry I..."

Both laughed as they tried to talk at the same time. Isabella gestured for him to walk and he did so with no arguments. "You can go first." She smiled, and hands clasped behind her back once more as they walked far behind the other two.

"I'm sorry I haven't written to you. I'm was hoping when I got here you weren't going to rip my head off or anything." He looked over at her.

She chuckled. "I wasn't worried about it. I mean, you guys have been running around and all that. I knew from what you told me that you would land here, and so, here you are." She gestured to him,and looked around. "Although, I thought it might have been sooner than two years."

His arm went around her shoulder, pulling her close, and she felt the blush creep up her cheeks. No matter what happened between them or how long it had been since they had seen each other, she would always have a soft spot for Desmond.

"So what do you have in the works for us here? I know you have a few things up your sleeve." He looked down at her, but she kept her eyes straight ahead.

"You know what will happen, Des. You know how it all turns out. I have been keeping an ear to the ground, trying, in vain I might add, to find a clue as to where the Apple is at this time." She shook her head. "Have you ever thought about us trying to get back to the states and going back to the Grand Temple?"

He snorted. "I had to live through three ancestors to find a way to open the place. We lack the two things to make that possible. The Apple and the Key. The Apple we will run across in a few years. The Key, on the other hand, I have no damn clue where that is until Haytham acquires in the 1700's."

Well, that answered that question. She was completely at a loss. "So, I guess we are stuck until Ezio gets the Apple."

"Yeah, but you knew that." He let his arm drop off her shoulders and she let her hands fall to her sides.

"I guess I did, but you can't give me shit bout still trying." She grinned up at him, trying to break the depressing cloud that was now hanging over them.

"I guess you're right. A few more years is all that we need."

**Sorry of the wait! I have a really busy week between doctor's appointments, my dentist appointment, and fixing my car. I have not had time to breath it seems. Well, here is chapter ten. I will give you a heads up now. I probably won't be able to update until next weekend. I have another dentist appointment and my youngest has a doctor's appointment this coming week. I am having my wisdom teeth removed. And I have to finish getting my 5 year old enrolled in kindergarten. Please bare with me for another week. Until then.**

**Sassiersphinx**


	11. Chapter 11

Isabella yawned as she lounged in the mid-day sun, cowl pulled over her face, feet in front of her, and her arms crossed over her chest. She had a free day because, surprisingly, no one had anything for her to do. So she found herself a nice patch of rooftop, and a good novel, and began to read, but after some time that grew boring. She was so used to doing something everyday that having this much free time was driving her to the brink of insanity.

"Isabella!" She heard someone call her name across the way, and she raised the edge of her hood just enough to see who was calling for her, but keep her eyes shielded from the harsh glare of the sun.

Roberto Santiago, one of Antonio's thieves, waved his hands at her, and she groaned inwardly. The man had a serious crush on her and no matter what she did to deter the man from her, it never seemed to work. She even went as far as to slaughter a few guards in front of him, to show him she was not someone he should try to get to know. But to no avail. The man hung around like a fly to stink.

Raising a hand to his call, just to let him know she had heard his annoying screeching. He walked across the roof and plopped down beside her. "I have been looking for you everywhere. You are hard person to find."

Sighing, she gave him a flat look. "If I do not want to be found, I will not be found. Now, what do you need, Roberto?"

"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to Carnival. Antonio wants all the thieves to join with the assassins to help them in anyway we can." He smiled and leaned against the chimney that she had at her back.

"I will be busy that night. I will be beside Ezio and Miles. I am an assassin after all." She got to her feet and brushed some dirt from the rear of her robes, then looked down at him. "Sorry."

"Oh well, I will help you anyway I can then." His smile never left his face, and she wanted nothing more than to grab him by the throat and keep squeezing until his eyes went vacant.

"We'll see." She walked to the edge and did a dive off the edge, landing safely into a cart. Rolling out, she brushed herself once more, and readjusted her hood. A sound behind her signaled Roberto followed her.

He climbed out and fell onto his face, stood quickly and rubbed the sore spot on his nose. "How do you do that so gracefully? You make it look so easy."

"Training." She ground out through clinched teeth. "Now, I have somewhere I need to head. I will see you later."

Walking away, Isabella heard his footfalls behind her. Her hands tightened into fists and she was about to break Antonio's rule for her and that was not to kill his thieves if this man did not quit following her like a dog.

Taking off in a dead run, she knew she was faster than the man that followed. He may be a thief, but he was more accustomed to the rooftops and ledges, to where she was able to move about the masses with little problems.

Turning sharply into a dark alley, she dove behind some crates, and ducked down, hoping like hell the man did not see what she had done. She heard him call for her a few times and when she did not answer, he must have given up, because she heard footsteps retreat from her hiding place. She gave a sigh of relief, and stood.

"Never thought I would see the day that you would hide from a man."

She jumped at the voice. Spinning around, she saw Ezio standing there, a smirk on his face. "Asshole. Must you really do that?" She glared at him and began to climb the side of the building.

Ezio followed her up and walked next to her as they made their way across Venice on the rooftops. "I must. You made it much too easy, Isabella."

"So what are you doing over in this area? I would have figured you would have been with Antonio or even Teodora." They were both clear on the other side of the city.

He chuckled as they ran across two beams that connected some buildings. "I was, but I found what they were saying quite boring, so I thought I would wander for a time. Then I spotted you and your admirer. Are you playing hard to get?"

She growled and plopped down on the edge of the building, feet hanging off over the water of the canal. "No, I'm not. I'm trying to stay the hell away from him. He's driving me insane!" She threw he hands up and then as they came back down, they smacked the terracotta tiles.

Ezio took a seat next to her. "I believe Desmond has told you once before that is a very short walk for you." He gave her a cheeky grin, and she raised her fist to him.

"One more smart ass comment comes from you, I am going to shove you off this building, Ezio. I so mean it." She was really getting sick of people picking on her about Roberto liking her. That was why she stayed by herself most of the time.

He held up his hands in surrender. "I will make no more jests on your sanity, Isabella."

She sighed and hung her head. "Thank you. So, where is your partner in crime at? You two are usually glued to each others' asses."

"Desmond?" She nodded. "Off doing something in the city. Said he wanted to look for something and took off. I tried to follow, but the man has strangely more knowledge of this city than even I possess at this time. Sometimes it terrifies me, but in the same breath, fascinates me to no end. Do I really get so proficient in this city that I can disappear at will?"

That caused her to laugh. "I would imagine so if he can already do it. Hell, I was here almost a year before I knew most of the city. I still couldn't tell you where everything is."

His nose scrunched up and he snorted. "I still have a hard time understanding him, and you two have been here going on what, five years?"

She nodded. "Something like that. I am about to give up all hope of going home. Desmond has the knowledge, but that can only get us so far if we do not have the Apple. I guess I should just resign myself to live here the remainder of my days."

His hand rested on her shoulder. "Do not give up hope so easily, Isabella. If he said he will get you home, then I believe he will do so."

Shaking her head, she looked back down at the water. "I try, Ezio, but it gets harder each and every day."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Desmond flattened himself against the wall, and listened to the men talk just around the corner. He had been tailing Rodrigo Borgia for most of the afternoon and well into the evening. He knew the Apple was here in the city, and he knew that was his ticket to get himself and Isabella home at last. If he could just find out where it was, they could break in, grab it, and hopefully go home without changing history too much. Hell, he knew that they had already changed it enough to alter the memories that he had of being Ezio. It was not much, but he knew they had changed it.

Rodrigo called for his men to stand guard as he entered the building. Climbing the side, he slipped into an open window and silently walked to the door. Cracking it open, he could hear voices flowing around in the darkness, but he couldn't make out exactly what they were saying. Knowing he needed to get closer, he peaked his head out to see a few well armed guards patrolling the hallway and the staircase down.

Leaning back against the wall, he checked his inventory of weapons. Three smoke bombs, about ten throwing daggers and four vials of poison. He also had his hidden blades, but he had left the sword back at his room at Leonardo's place. He figured if he was going to be moving with stealth, he did not need to take the chance of the sword hitting something and making noise.

"Shit. What's your next move, Desmond?" He whispered to himself and thought about what Connor or even Altair would have done in this situation.

Altair would have barreled in, blades drawn and slashed down all the enemies until he came to the man that held the information that he needed. Once that information was obtained, his life would have been snuffed out and the Syrian would walk from the room, blades dripping with blood from the lives that he had taken.

Connor, on the other hand, would opt for stealth and secrecy over everything. If he did not have to take a life, the larger man would not. He would kill one guard, take their uniform, and slip in under the cover of that uniform, obtain the information and slip back out with none being the wiser. His tactic seemed like the best one to take.

Cracking the door once more, he watched a guard walk towards him, head bend, looking at his boots and at nothing else. That was the man that he would have to kill to take his uniform. Loading the poison into the hollowed out needle, he knew blood on the uniform would signal something was amiss.

The man came closer, and taking great care as not to be seen until he had the needle into the guard, he struck at the optimal time. The poison injected and Desmond clamped his hand over the man's mouth, cutting off the cry for help as he drug him into the darkened room and waited for the poison to do it's work.

It was over within a few minutes. The man's last breath rushed past his lips as he slumped in the assassin's arms. Quickly, Desmond stripped the guard of his gear, taking care in stashing his robes in a safe place, and began to dress. Getting the armor on was a pain in the ass because of all the straps and buckles, but finally after a few minutes, he was ready to get moving.

Dragging the dead body into the closet and shutting the door, he walked out into the hallway, and down the stairs. No one looked at him differently, until he headed for the voices. Another guard, this one he recognized as Rodrigo's personal guard, gave him a critical eye.

"What are you doing down here? I believe you were supposed to be patrolling the rooms upstairs." His eyes narrowed and Desmond's brain went into overdrive.

"I had to use the bathroom. There is nothing going on, so I thought it would be alright if I went to take a piss." He looked the man in the face.

The guard thought about it, then nodded. "Alright. I don't understand why he feels he needs this much patrol. The assassins have not come near this building, and if they do, they will not live long enough to tell anyone." He snickered,and Desmond wanted so much to smile, but kept his face straight.

"I will keep my eyes open as I patrol." He inclined his head, and walked past until he came to a place that he could listen in on the conversation without interruption.

"I was told that the artifact would be here by week's end. Now you are telling me that it has been lost in transit and you have no idea as to where it has gone?" Rodrigo growled at the other man.

Desmond's eyes widened. The Apple was lost? He never knew that had happened. He pressed himself closer to the door, trying to get all the information he could.

"Maestro, I swear we will track it down. Make no mistake on that." The other man's voice shook in fear. "It was possibly misplaced, or loaded wrong. I will make it my mission to retrieve the chest for you."

"See that you do."

The door opened around the corner, and the other man walked briskly past. Desmond followed him to the front door, and committed his face to memory, then headed up the stairs to change. He had to do so quickly so he could follow the man to where he came from.

He was out of the armor, into his robes and out the window in only a few minutes. Silencing the three archers on the roof, he switched to the Eagle Vision, and followed the golden trail towards the docks. He had to get that Apple. Isabella was counting on him.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Ezio paced the floor. It was well past nightfall and no one had seen, nor heard from Desmond since earlier that day. It was as if he had dropped off the face of the map. Isabella stood on the balcony and scanned the crowds below. "Ezio, do you think he is down there in the crowd? Maybe he got caught up in the festivities and lost track of time?" She looked over at him, fear in her green eyes.

"Maybe, but I don't know. Antonio has his people looking for him, along with the courtesans. He will be found." He stopped pacing and came to her side. He looked down at the people as well. "Where could he have gone to?"

She shrugged and leaned onto the railing. "Don't know, but it's really not like him to run off like that." She shoved off the rail and walked back into the room.

He watched her grab some clothes out of the chest at the foot of the bed. "What are you doing, Isabella?" He asked as she began to unbuckle her weapons.

"I'm not going to sit here and do nothing. I'm going out there to find him." She glared, and that was when he saw she had laid out the plain clothes of a thief.

Grabbing her arm, he met her glare with one of his own. "We were told to stay inside. With everything that has been going on as of late, we have become public enemy. We must stay inside until dawn and once the posters are gone, and the right people paid, we may leave once more."

Pulling at her arm, she could not get free because his grip was like a vice. "That's where you're wrong. I have so many damned identities in this city, sometimes I forget who I really am. No one looks at me twice and that is what I love. Now, if you would kindly get the hell off of my arm, I need o go look for him."

"No." He was not about to let her go out into the city, alone and in the state she was in. Most likely people who did not need to die, would end up face down in the canals. "You are not thinking rationally."

"She can do that?"

Both heads turned to see Desmond leaning heavily against the wooden frame of the door, the white of his robes splattered with blood, and the right side of his face was starting to change many shades of black, purple and red.

"Desmond!" Isabella pulled free from Ezio's loosened grip and was at her friend's side in a flash. "What the hell did you do?"

He laughed, but grabbed his side in pain. "Had a run in with a few heavily armed guards at the dock. They didn't like me poking around where I was." He coughed a bit, and leaned even more against the frame.

Ezio walked over and helped him to a chair. "And why were you at the dock? There is nothing there."

Once he was seated and Isabella tending to the wounds on his face, he sighed. "I saw Rodrigo Borgia on the streets earlier. I decided to follow him. Now, the Borgia have had the Apple for awhile, and I was trying to see where it was. That was when I overheard him and the harbormaster talking about how it had been lost in transit to here. I went too the docks to look at the ship logs and try to figure out where it could be. That was when I was caught,but not before I swiped the logs." He pulled them from the satchel at his side. "I think I know where it's at."

Ezio and Isabella's jaw dropped. "You went looking for the Apple? Why?" She asked setting the cloth on the small table.

The older man smiled gently at her. "Because I knew you wanted to go home, and I knew you didn't want to wait for as long as I told you."

A blush formed on her cheeks, and she leaned over and hugged him. "Thank you."

Ezio cleared his throat. "Where is it?"

"The ship that is was supposed to be on sailed out of Cairo at the start of the voyage. It stopped at five different ports along the way. The problem is, it could very well be in any of those five ports." Desmond looked up at him, his brown eyes truthful. "Either we wait, and let the damn thing come to us, or we can go look for it. That is a choice I'm going to leave up to Isabella. This really is her life Minerva and Juno have fucked with. I was supposed to be dead." His eyes turned back to the female.

Her jaw opened and shut like a fish out of water. "You want me to decide?" Desmond nodded. "I don't know what to do. How long do I have to make a choice?"

"Two days. The ship bound for the last port leaves then."

**Yep, we are just putting right along now. I am starting to deviate from the story line now, because sorry, if I waited until Ezio got the Apple, the would be in their forties. Plus, I want to get them back to their own time. Thanks again for all the reviews! Everyone is great and I smile at every one. See ya!**


	12. Chapter 12

The first two port cities had been a bust and three weeks on the ship was finally getting to Desmond as he made his way to the deck. Sailors walked around, checking the rigging an making sure things were in place. Wind filled the sails and he breathed in deep the calming sea air. He had always loved that part of Connor's memories. The sights and smells of being on the high seas. The salty air all around, and the calming affects the waves crashing against the bow of the ship as it cut it's way though the water to it's destination.

He felt his nerves calm as he looked out over the open water. The water here was so blue, and a smile curved his lips. It wasn't like this back home. The water was a different color. From the pollution and the dumping, it was not the same. Here, it was simpler, calmer, almost surreal.

Walking up to the bow, he spied Isabella sitting on the deck, one leg tucked up under her and the other bent, reading from a leather bound book, a modern ball point pen tapping out a rhythm against her full lips. She didn't notice him, and he shook his head in amusement. She was so focused on the book that the world passed her by with not a care.

"Is it that interesting?" He asked as he took a seat next to her on the deck, leaning his head against the rail.

She blinked, and her head turned to look at him. "Huh?" She asked. Obviously she had been so engrossed in the contents she had not heard him.

"The book? That good?" He asked again with a slight chuckle.

Her eyes drifted back to the leather bound tome. "Actually, it's puzzling." Her nose scrunched up and she snorted. "But I'm starting to understand. Maybe."

He caught a glimpse of the words on the page and saw that they were written in Italian. He could speak the language, but reading it was something else. That was where he was completely lost. "Wanna clue me in?"

She pointed to a line, and he gave her a blank look. "Sorry, I forgot you can't read Italiano. Anyway, I had Leonardo write down Altair's codex before we left. The man has a photographic memory, did you know that?" He shook his head no, because really he didn't know that about the man. "Well, some of the pages that I had read at the villa intrigued me, and I wanted to read the whole thing.

"There is a page in here, this one right here. It talks about the world erupting into fire. It reminded me of a poem that I heard in English class when I was younger, but I can't remember all of it."

He heard a small growl escape her lips from frustration. "Well maybe I can help. I read a lot when I ran away. I didn't really take to TV like most people. Didn't interest me much." Hell, he didn't get a cell phone until about a year before Abstergo found him.

"I know the name of the poem is called Fire And Ice. This is what I can remember. Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. I can only remember the first two lines." She sighed. "It's driving me insane." He went to open his mouth to make a comical crack on that last line when she narrowed her eyes at him. "You make a joke about my sanity, and so help me Desmond, you will be off this boat faster than you can blink."

Desmond smiled, but bit the comment back. He wasn't up for a swim right now. "All I was going to say was, I know that poem."

Her eyebrow quirked up. "Really?" He nodded. "Well, recite it. I have been wracking my brain for a few days now trying to remember it."

"Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice,

From what I have tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire

But if it had to perish twice

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction of ice

Is also great

And would suffice."

He looked at her, and her mouth hung open in amazement. When she finally composed herself, she asked him. "How in the hell did you know the whole damn thing?"

Shrugging, he stretched his feet out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. "Told you. I read a lot. Read anything I could get a hold of. I came across some of Robert Frost's work when I was in a library one day. I liked it so much that I actually took the book with me when I left." He let his eyes drift up towards the white-blue sky. "I'm not a moron, Isabella."

"Never said you were, Des. I'm just shocked that you knew it." Her hand rested on his leg, and the skin under it heated up from her touch. The woman had no clue what she did to him.

He cleared his throat and spoke. "I have a tendency to remember things that I like."

They lapsed into silence, just sitting next to each other, listening to the sounds of the ocean, and the waves. The movements of the ship under him, and the sounds of the waves lapping against the wooden sides of the vessel calmed him more than he had felt in a long time.

He must have dozed off, because he felt someone gently shake him. "Desmond."

His eyes cracked open to see Isabella kneeling next to him. "Huh?"

"Storm's moving in. We need to get below deck." She looked up at the sky, and he followed her line of sight to see large black clouds rolling in fast. "The seas are about to get rough."

Stretching, he stood and flexed his hand where it had gone to sleep. "Maybe I could stay out here and help. I mean, with my knowledge of sailing from my time as Connor, I think I could be of some use."

Isabella grabbed his arm. "I don't think so. We don't need to take any unnecessary risks. Desmond, we are so close to getting home. Please, just get below deck with me, and stay safe."

Her eyes plead with him. "But I can help, Isabella. I know what I'm doing."

"But you have never done it in real life. This isn't the Animus, this is real. If you were thrown overboard, or hit by falling rigging, you could be hurt or killed." She begged him, and tugged a bit on his arm. "I don't want to see you get hurt, or get killed. You are the only friend I have right now." Her voice wavered and he could tell that she was scared.

"You've never been on a ship in a storm before, have you?" He asked, but he already knew the answer.

She shook her head and looked around. "The truth is, I had never been on a ship before I went to Venice for the first time, and even then it was smooth sailing all the way. Not a cloud in the sky." Her eyes finally locked onto his and they were wide with fright. "I am scared shitless right now. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"I'll go below with you, but if they need help, I will come back up to help." He took her hand off his arm and placed in his. "Come on. Let's get you settled in before the sea gets rough."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Lightning lit up the small porthole, and the crash of the thunder made Isabella jump. Desmond lounged on the floor like they were on a mid-afternoon pleasure cruise. His eyes drifted shut, and she wanted nothing more than to reach over and throttled him, but a sudden shifting of the boat made her scream and grab a hold of some rope that hung from the ceiling.

"Sit down and that won't happen." He chuckled, cracking one eye.

"Fuck off." She growled, but slid to the floor, hugging the wooden beam. "How are you so damn calm about all of this? It feels like the ship is going to roll over most of the time." The thunder rattled the ship, and she curled up tighter.

His eyes opened and he looked her. "Did you forget who I lived as?" He smiled, but she just glared. "Look, come here."

"I am not letting go." She was beginning to sound like a child, but damn it, she was scared out of her mind.

"Fine, I'll come to you." He crawled over to where she was huddled, and pulled her to him. Her arms quickly went around his neck as the thunder crashed again, and her face buried into his chest. "See? Everything is fine."

"For you maybe. Me? I wish this damn storm would end." She whined. After this ended, and she was on dry land, there was no way in hell she was ever getting back on a ship. She didn't care if it was just a damned dingy to row around an inlet. She was never ever getting back on a boat. "I envy you, you know that right?"

His chest rumbled with laughter, which brought a small smile to her face. "And why is that?"

"Because you're not afraid of anything." At least that's what it seemed like to her. He never showed fear in front of her. Not in a fight, or in the face of danger. He was the perfect assassin.

The laughter ceased, and she knew he was serious when the words left his mouth. "I'm afraid of a lot of things, Isabella. I'm afraid of failing, falling, and losing people that I love. I'm afraid that if we get back that I'm actually dead and I lost my chance to live my life. I'm afraid that I'm going to fail you and you are stuck here because I can't find your ticket home."

"At least I have a friend if I'm stuck here." She gave him a small smile. "I couldn't think of better person to be stuck with than you."

His laughter was back, and that made her feel better. He had been through so much, and compared to his life, she had it easy. Loving parents, friends, and a good job. She was rich compared to what he had. They were such the odd couple.

The storm raged outside, but she felt completely safe wrapped in his arms, and now, she didn't fight it. He wasn't Ryan. He wouldn't hurt her on purpose. He wasn't there to deceive her, and to use her. He was her friend, and she was his. They were in this for the same reason. They had been thrown into this by an unseen force, and now he was trying to do right by her.

"Desmond." She raised her head.

"Huh?" He met her eyes.

"Thank you for helping me." And throwing everything out the proverbial window, she leaned forward and laid a soft kiss on his lips.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Ezio sat on his bed in the villa. He had come back for a time to spend some time with his family when Desmond and Isabella took off in search for the Apple. He looked around the room and sighed. He was far lonelier than he thought he would have been without his two friends near.

Three weeks had passed and not a word. What grand adventures awaited them outside the land of Italy? Were they battling pirates on the high seas? Scouring far off ports in search of the relic? It all sounded far more adventurous than what he was doing at that time. He was staring at the ceiling, imagining what they were doing.

"Ezio!" Mario called for him from the beginning of the passage that lead to his room.

Flipping off the bed, he climbed down the latter and listened to his footfalls echo off the walls as he walked into the villa. "Yes Mario?"

The older man held out a letter. "This just arrived for you. I thought you would want it straight away. I believe it's from them."

Taking it quickly, he cracked the wax seal of the letter, an looked at the flowing script. It was defiantly Isabella's handwriting.

_Ezio,_

_We have made it safely to our first port and it is a cesspool of unwashed bodies, dead fish, and rotting things that even we can't identify. Maybe we should have just waited until it turned up with you. But I'm getting away with myself. _

_It's been a few days later, and nothing. We are about to board the next ship. I will write once we get to the next port. Good luck to you, and may fortune favor your blade. Safety and peace, Ezio. _

_Isabella and Desmond_

He found the letter amusing, and was glad to know they were alright for now. They were his only friends, and he was glad to have met them. "Uncle? Do you know where they are now. I have the route they will be following." He pulled the folded parchment from his pocket and handed it to Mario.

Spreading it out on the small table in the hall, he looked at it, and frowned. "Do you know the name of the ship they were aboard?"

Shaking his head. "I am sorry, I do not. They told me they would not say in case their letters were intercepted."

"A wise move on their part, but I have heard rather disturbing news from a few dock workers in Venice. There was a rather large storm that came up suddenly a few days ago. A few ships have not been accounted for as of yet. I was waiting for a shipment to come in." He shook his head. "Pray they were not in the path, Ezio. That is all I can tell you to do."

Mario walked off leaving him standing there with many thoughts running through his head. All were not pleasant and most involved Desmond and Isabella.

Coming to one conclusion, he raced back up to his room, throwing on his robes and equipment. He was going to find out about them for himself. Family did not abandon family. That was the one thing his father always stressed to him, and Desmond was family. He would make sure he and Isabella were safe before resuming his quest for Rodrigo Borgia and the remaining men that followed him.

**The chapter is short because it's mainly a filler, but it covers a few things that are important in the coming chapters. I have completely left the AC2 storyline behind because from here on out, it does not serve any purpose. In the coming chapters, Ezio leaves to find Desmond and Isabella, the other two get closer, and the Apple makes an unexpected appearance. They will be getting back to the present soon, but not too soon. Thank you to everyone who is following, who has it as a favorite and all the great reviews. Big hugs for everyone! As for the Robert Frost poem, I just like the poem, but it does fit in with that page of the codex.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry my good people about the delay! I have been so busy this last week with getting my five year old daughter enrolled in kindergarten, my three year old daughter in head start and then the two oldest ready to go back to school. I can not believe it is that time of the year. Wow! Anyway, here is the next chapter in Heaven Only Knows.**

The waves pounded the shore as Desmond crawled his way onto, well, mostly dry land. Everything hurt from the swim he had just done, but he knew it had to be done, or to perish under the waves. He had been given a second chance at life, and he would be an idiot if he didn't fight for it.

Spewing salt water from his lungs and gut, he watched it pour from his lips like a waterfall for a moment, marveling at how much he had taken in and still stayed afloat. A heavy breathing sound next to him signaled Isabella had made landfall. Her armor long since cast onto a piece of driftwood they had taken turns clinging to for rest.

She laid there on her stomach, cheek pressed into the wet sand. "I will never get back on another ship for the rest of my life." She coughed a bit, spraying some sea water and a trindel of the salty brine ran out of the corner of her mouth. Slowly she rolled over onto her back, looking up at the moonlit sky. "Any idea where we made landfall at?"

He shook his head slightly, and he could feel water slosh around in his brain. "Lost the map in our mad dash overboard. I say let's make camp, dry out, and find a town in the morning."

A chilled wind blew over them, and being soaked to the bone, both shivered. "Sounds great to me." Her teeth began to chatter.

They clambered to their feet, tired limbs shaky as they drug their beaten bodies to the woods edge. He knew enough that they were farther south than they started, but how far he couldn't say. In the daylight hours, he might be able to figure something out, but right now, his mind, body and everything else screamed for rest, and a fire.

As they set out to do their tasks, he gathering some wood, and her trying to make a makeshift lean to, they both knew they would be in for a rather long night.

After some time, they managed to get a small fire going, their over clothes laying over a log not far from the fire. The remainder of their clothing clung to their damp bodies, as they huddled together next to the fire.

"Well, this has turned into a fine adventure." Desmond felt himself shake as a breeze blew past. He would have loved to put his hoodie on, but that too, was soaked.

Isabella rubbed her hands together, and laughed. "You can keep your 'fine adventure', Desmond Miles. I, for one, will love to get back to civilization and figure out where to go from here."

Deciding to pick on her, just to pass the time, he grinned at her in the firelight. "And what if this is a deserted island, and you are stuck here with me for the rest of your life? You said you were never getting on another boat."

And she picked right back. "Then I guess I am swimming for shore."

They both laughed at that. "At least we can still crack jokes." He stated as he looked at the cracking fire.

"I think sometimes our lives are one big joke. I mean, the two of us got caught by Abstergo, freed, only to be thrown into the past with each other, mind you, and now washed up from a shipwreck on our way to chase down the one thing that may be our ticket to get us home. I think we were better off in Monteriggioni with three meals a day, a few friends, and something to do." She leaned into him, and sighed. "We are one fucked up pair."

He couldn't help but nod in agreement. "I second that."

They sat in silence, listening to sounds of the night. His arm wrapped around her shoulder, and she, in turn, leaned into him. He smiled when he thought about how long he had been wanting to do this for, but it was not the way he had it planned. Maybe woe her and ask her out like any guy would, not be stranded on a beach, slightly damp, and chilled from being dumped in the sea after their ship sank. He couldn't hold it back any longer. He laughed.

She looked up at him. "What's so funny?"

Smiling, he shook his head. "Nothing."

Her lips pursed. "What was it, Desmond?"

"Well, please don't hit me, but this was not how I pictured spending time with you." He shook his head slightly, feeling his growing hair brush the top of his forehead. Normally he kept it really short, but in this time, it was not the way, so he settled on a little longer, but not Ezio long.

Isabella chuckled into her hand. "The same here. I thought we would maybe be walking down some street chatting like we normally do. Possibly having lunch or dinner, but definitely not like this."

Giving her a one armed hug, he laid his head on top hers. "I would have to rate this as one of the worst ways to actually be one on one with a woman."

She let out a content sigh before speaking once more. "Oh no, I could think of a few worse case scenarios for us to be in, but this does rank kind of high. But at least I can say, I don't mind my stranding partner. It could have been much worse. I could have been stranded with one of those sailors."

And he had to agree with her. It could have been much worse for both of them, like one of them could have lost their lives. Or they could have been separated in the sea. Looking at all that could have happened, he knew it could have been much, much worse.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Isabella's eyes fluttered open as the rays of the new dawn shined on her face, waking her from her sleep. As she went to stretch, she became alarmed when her arm was pinned to her side, and a hand rested against her stomach. That was when the events from the previous day flooded back. The shipwreck, the swim, and their ultimate arrival on the deserted beach.

Groaning, she knew they were in for a hike that morning, but all she could think about was the protesting of her overly worked muscles screaming at her. They had swam some distance to reach land, and even then, they had no clue as to where they had ended up.

"Desmond." She shook his arm slightly, but received no response. So, with a bit more force, she shook him again. "Desmond, wake up."

A string of words left his mouth, in a language she was unfamiliar with. It was either something he picked up from his time as the colonial assassin, Connor, or the Third Crusade assassin, Altair. Either way, the man had to wake up. So, she rolled a bit, watching his face contort into a frown before more words in the unknown language left his scarred lips.

"Come on, wake up." She shook his shoulder, and watched his eyes open slowly, but for a moment, it was as if he was not Desmond Miles, but someone else. Someone that wore the face of her friend. "Des?"

Blinking in response to his real name, a groan passed his lips, and he met her eyes. "Morning." He gave a small sleepy smile, and she knew he had no clue as to what she had just witnessed.

Clearing her throat, she answered him. "Morning to you too. We need to get moving."

"Do I have to?" He attempted to bury his face in the side of her arm, but she would have none of it.

"Yes you do. If I have to get up and move, so do you buster." Pulling herself free from his embrace, her eyes drifted up and down the deserted beach. Nothing had been disturbed and no sign of life besides their footprints leading from the water's edge. "We should at least try for civilization today."

"Whatever you say boss." He yawned and sat up. "Should we try and find food, or wait until we are on the road?"

Her stomach rumbled, letting her know it was not happy about being as empty as it was. "Your call. I could go either way."

"Get the fire rolling again. I'll try to find some food." He got to his feet with little effort and she wondered how he was not sore as she was from their swim the night before. There was so much she still did not know about him.

Standing, she felt muscles pull and protest. Her legs felt as if someone had replaced them with wooden planks in her sleep. They were stiff and would barely bend. She had not had that much of a workout in years, if ever. Yet, she stretched the limps out slowly, getting motion back into them once more.

Walking to the where she had seen Desmond enter the woods at, she grabbed a few pieces of the timber they had collected last night, and set up the fire once more. Taking the flint from her now dry pack, she struck her dagger against the stone. Sparks shot forward, hitting against the grass that lay below the wood. Smoke began to rise and she blew on the embers, willing them to ignite into a usable flame.

Once the flames caught and ignited the dry wood, she sat back on her rear, watching the fire walk over the logs, the slow burn of the destructive force if it was not kept in check. She held out her hands and warmed them from the slight chill they still had in them.

A twig broke in the treeline and she turned her head, hand reaching for her knife. Desmond walked out holding an animal by the tail. "Got breakfast." He said proudly, holding up the critter.

"I hope you know how to skin it. That was one thing I would never do." Her nose wrinkled in disgust. Her dad had tried to teach her, but she nearly got sick each time.

Taking a seat next to her, he sat the kill in the sand, and pulled out his knife. "It's really not that hard, Isabella. Here, I'll walk you through it."

She held up her hands. "I don't think so."

Laughing, he grabbed her hand, and put the knife in it. "Come on. I'll do it with you." His hand wrapped around hers, then moved behind her to where his legs were on each side of her 0and she couldn't help but blush. "Now, you start here." And guided her hand through the motions.

She squealed in disgust when the entrails washed over her hand, causing a deep laugh come from him. "This is so gross! I can't believe you are having me doing this!"

"Dear Lord! You can run a man through and have his blood on your hands, but you can't skin an animal for food?" His chin rested on her shoulder, his hand still guiding hers through the steps to remove the inner of the animal and the pelt.

Her blush deepened with him being so close. "This creature never did anything to me."

"Call it the 'Circle of Life'. It died to feed you." She could tell he was smiling at her.

"Whatever Mufasa." She lightly knocked his head with her own. "This is still gross."

After the pelt was removed and the critter roasting over the fire, she rinsed her hands in the surf with Desmond next to her. "So after we eat, I guess we're going to try and find a town?" He asked, splashing some water up on his face.

Nodding, she wiped her hands on the legs of her pants. "We need to get moving."

"Okay." He headed back up to the fire, leaving her standing there, looking at his retreating back.

Jogging up to him, she grabbed his arm. "What's wrong?"

He looked down at her. "Nothing." But his eyes betrayed him.

"Bull. What is it?" What hell had gotten into him?

"Since we got here, you have been gung ho to get home, but really, I have no desire to go back. All that will happen to me when we get back is I'm going to be use again. I like it here. I have a purpose and I'm doing this because I want to. Not because someone is making me." Hr growled. She took a step back from him, letting her hand slid down his arm. "If you want to go home, I'll help you, but I'm not going."

"Desmond, I hope you don't think I'm using you." She spoke low and looked down at the ground. "If you do, I'm sorry. I never wanted that."

His hand touched her chin and raised her face to meet his. "No I don't, but if go back I know I will be used there." He took a step forward. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She said quietly, and could think of only one thing to do, and she kissed him for the second time. This time he actually participated.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Ezio slammed the squinty-eyed man into the wall. "I want to know what happened to the vessel that my friends were on." He got into his face and felt his stomach turn from the stench that came from the man's mouth.

"They boarded nearly two weeks ago. That ship was lost a few days after that in a summer storm. No survivors have turned up. They are most likely at the bottom of the sea with that accursed ship." He sneered.

Dropping him unceremoniously on his backside, he walked away, dread settled into the pit of his stomach. Could they have been lost at sea? Could they have died and he would never know? That line of though did not sit well, and he shook the thoughts from his mind. No, they had not been sent back through just to have it end with the sinking of a vessel. They were still out there somewhere.

Climbing into the saddle of his bay stallion and headed south along the coast. There had to be some sign of them. Something to tell him that they were still alive. They were his friends, his family, and he would not stop until they were found safely.

Night began to creep up on him, and the weariness of travel began to take it's toll on his body. Knowing he should stop for the night, he pulled the reins up on the bay and brought him to a halt. Slipping from the saddle, he took the reins in his hands and walked towards the edge of the woods, but something caught his eye. Something partly buried in the sand, and the dying rays of the sun shone off the surface.

Bending over, he pulled it out and gasped. It was the device Desmond had called a watch. He knew it was the older man's because Ezio had seen it once before right after he found out that Desmond and Isabella were from the distant future.

"If this is here, there is a chance they washed up near here." He spoke to himself, and slipped the leather and silver piece into his pouch.

Finding that fueled him once more. He was many days behind them, but they were on foot. He had one of the fastest horses in Monteriggioni with him. He could travel nearly three times the distance that they could in one day. Unless they managed to find horses of their own. Then he might not catch them right away.

Getting back into the saddle, he flicked the reins, giving his horse the signal to take off. The animal did not hesitate and raced down the beach, the sand churning under his hooves. Ezio laid low over the muscular neck of the beast. He would find them. He had to.

The sky deepened to a near black as his horse ran along the water's edge. A fire, although small, lit up the horizon. He pulled up on the rains, bringing the horse to a walk as he came up onto the fire. An older gentleman sat there, hands out in front, warming them.

"Bonjorno messere." He called out as Ezio brought the horse to a stop.

"Bonjorno." He removed himself from the saddle and bowed a bit. "Have you seen a man and a woman around here, dressed slightly as I am? I am trying to find them."

The man smiled and pointed to the small log across from him. "I have. Not two days previous. I happened to stumble across them here as they were heading into land. Gave them directions to the nearest town, and they set out on their way. Very nice people."

He did not sit, but reached into his pouch, pulled out a few coin and gave them to the man. "Thank you. Hopefully I will be able to catch them in the morning."

"You look like you have been traveling far. Please sit and warm yourself by the fire. They are on foot. You will catch them in no time with your horse." He grinned and gestured to the log once more.

Taking the seat this time, he felt the weariness fall over him, but he could not fall asleep. He had to find them, but he could just close his eyes just for a few minutes, and that was when the warm blanket of sleep covered him and he let the darkness consume him.


	14. Chapter 14

The dream was different than any he had before. It was almost a replay of the last moment he had in his rightful time. The large pulsing orb sat on the pedestal in front of him, the way the wind seemed to come from nowhere inside the cavernous hall. His breathing echoing around him, and the lights that seems to emanate from everywhere, but no source were ever seen.

Juno stood on one side of the orb, her viper like smile telling him she knew more than she would tell. That she knew what he would choose. And then there was Minerva, a frown set on her longer face. She tried to warn him of what was to come. What his choice would unleash onto the world. If he knew then what he knew now, would he have made a different choice? Would he have walked away and let the world suffer?

But with that choice he knew that he would have never met Isabella. She would have just been another unnamed assassin that most likely would have perished in the solar flare. She would have died with countless others that possessed no name and never would to him. They would have never met, and he would have never fallen for her.

A saying came to his mind when he thought about his choices. 'Every action has an equal or opposite reaction'. It was right. If he had taken Minerva's path, the world would have been brought to its knees in fire. The world would have burned, and there was nothing he could have done to prevent it. Unless he took the path he did chose. He had taken Juno's path, but to save the world, he gave up his life. Or so he thought he was.

The world melted around him. His heart sped up as it reformed like so many times he had seen in the Animus. He now stood in the underground temple of Juno. Shaun, Rebecca, and Lucy all stood there. Frozen like the last time, but now he was in control of his own mind. He knew this was all a dream.

"Or is it?"

His head whipped around to see Isabella stroll in through the doors, long mahogany hair billowing behind her, but her eyes were different . No longer were they green, but the color of the Apple. Their golden hue flashed and he knew this was not Isabella, but someone toying with him.

"Juno." He ground out through clenched teeth. He knew the viper would have to be here if he was back in her nest.

She flashed him a smile. "I must say, I am surprised at you, Desmond Miles. For a human, you are more resilient than I once thought possible." She glided past him, and walked over to the others. "They followed you here willingly. Thinking that you were to lead them to a treasure that your ancestor once held." Waving her hand, Shaun and Rebecca vanished, but Lucy stood there, he blue eyes vacant and stared into the void. "She paid dearly for that choice."

Desmond watched her circle Lucy. He wanted to defend the blond woman, but he knew she was dead and this was no more than a dream. So he stood there and watched Juno, in the form of Isabella, smile at him like a predator. "What do you want with me?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He had just about enough of her games and schemes.

She came to him, and tried to lay a hand on his shoulder, but he dodged her, eyes narrowed. "I would have thought you would have found this form pleasing and relaxing to you."

"You are not Isabella. I know that. Now, what do you want from me, Juno?" He growled and wanted nothing more than to reach forward, wrap his hands around her neck and squeeze until she slumped in his arms, life extinguished, but he knew that would not happen.

"You have already done what was required of you. I need nothing else. With your sacrifice, I was set free from my prison. You are my savior, Desmond." She turned on her heels and walked to where the apple sat. "You are the world's savior. Does that not please you?"

He shook his head. "No, because I released a psycho bitch like you onto it."

Her head whipped around, fire danced in the golden depths of her eyes. "If it was not for your kind, my people would still be here. This would be 'our' world. Peaceful, serene. Yet, you and your kind have squabbled and fought for thousands of years with each other. Using what leverage you could get to wage war on each other."

He countered. "You enslaved us! Used us to build your cities, your houses. How many of my people died to construct this place?" He gestured to the surrounding temple. "How many died making that place that you tried to kill me in, huh? I would call it was payback for all the shit you did to us!" His breathing came out in pants and his fists clinched in rage. "Drop the act and get out of Isabella's body."

"If that is what you want." She nodded and a bright light, nearly enough to blind him, consumed the room. Once it died out, it was only her and him standing in the temple. She was far more solid than he remembered and he thought back on what Isabella had said the day that he met her. How she had told him that she was not as Minerva had been. "It is more what you had in mind?"

Desmond could not help but swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. She was damn near as tangible has he was right now, and for some reason, that scared the piss out of him. So, swallowing his fears, he put on a blank face. "Now, why did I end up in the past along with Isabella?"

Her footfalls echoed in the chamber. "It was not my doing. I can assure you. You were meant to die because your usefulness to my plans had come to an end. Your savior was Minerva. She believes that you will be the one that will stop what I have begun. What she does not know is, it can not be stopped. I control all. I have been planning this for so many years."

He instinctively took a few steps back from her advance. "But I can't do anything from here. I can't stop you if I am damn near five hundred years in the past. What they hell does she want me to do, change history?"

Juno shrugged. "I do not know what goes on in the mind of my sister, but she must have something planned. I am sure of it."

He didn't like being a pawn. Actually that was too loose of a word. Despised, hated, loathed would be better for what he felt. "Well, once she figures it out, tell her to clue me in, would you? Can't help if I don't know what the fuck is going on."

Chuckling, she headed for the door. "When I see her next, I will tell her so. But a word of caution to you, Desmond. Trials are coming once more in your future. You would do well to heed my warning."

"And why are you helping me? I thought my usefulness was over." He scowled at her.

He looked at him over her shoulder. "I like you in a small way. You remind me of what was good with your race. That fire. Take my warning to heart. Now, awaken and face a new day."

His eyes flew open and his breath came out in ragged gasps. He was back in the rented room he and Isabella had gotten the night before. Sweat poured down his face, and his hands shook. The dream, or was it a warning, still vivid in his mind's eye.

Dawn had not even broke yet, but he knew there was no more rest for him to be had. The visit from Juno had put him on the edge. So, quietly as he could, he took himself from the bed, making sure the thin cover was pulled up over Isabella's shoulder. Quickly dressing, he stole from the room, and walked downstairs.

People still milled around in the common room, drinking their ale, and eating whatever was available at that early hour. He had no clue as to how much time had passed since they had taken to bed. All he knew now was that his mind was troubled and there was nothing he could do about it. So, he took a seat at an empty table near the fire, watching the flames dance along the wood that burned in the hearth.

"What can I get for you?" The woman that helped run the place walked up to him, a smile on her plump face.

Pulling out a few coins that he had pilfered out of a plump coin purse the night before, he held them out. "Whatever this will get me."

"A hot meal and some strong wine? You look like you could use it." She took the coin from his hands, placing them in the pouch that hung from her side, and walked into the back.

His eyes returned to the fire.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Ezio awoke the following morning to his horse nudging him in the ribs. He waved off the beast with his hand. "I'm awake you obnoxious beast." His eyes cracked open to see that the fire had died in the night, and his companion was nowhere to be seen.

Sitting up in the sand, his checked his weapons and was relieved to find them all in place and accounted for. He was thankful that he did not get robbed in his sleep. He had not meant to fall asleep, but he had also been riding since the day previous with little rest.

Running a hand down his weary face, he managed to get to his feet and stretch. The man that had offered him a fire the night before was gone, his shoe tracks heading up the beach in the direction he had come. He would have liked to thank him one last time, but since that was not to happen, he grabbed the pommel of the saddle and swung into it. The horse bobbed his head head in readiness.

They took off down the way, a small, not well defined path that lead inland towards a few farms dotting the horizon. As he passed the homes, he noticed not one person was outside, or even around. It was as if they packed up and abandoned their homes. Ezio scratched his head in wonder. What had happened here?

A bit up the way, a small family stood near a tilted wagon. The wheel had come off. Bringing the horse to a stop, the children looked at him wide-eyed with a bit of fear in their young eyes. They were looking at his weapons.

"Excuse me, messere. Do you require assistance with your wagon?" He asked the older man as he dismounted from the saddle.

The man looked up from his work, his eyes widened when he looked at Ezio. "Off to join the army?" He asked, eyes passing over any blade that was visible.

Ezio shook his head. "No, I am looking for a few friends that were in a shipwreck just a few days previous. I was told by a person that they had been sent up this very road."

The man visually relaxed. "I am sorry. We are heading to my family's place near Roma, and the wheel broke. The army has come in and taken my land for their new camps." He gave a disgusted look. "Damned army. Thinking they can come and take what they do not need."

That piqued his interest. "Why do they need more camps? Do they think there will be an invasion?"

The man shrugged. "I do not know. They took my land and all the farms on this road, all the way up to the sea." He looked down at his wagon and sighed. "May I ask for some help? That way I can get my family away from this place."

Nodding his head, they had the wheel fixed within a few minutes. Once the work was completed and the family was on their way, Ezio stood there, holding onto the reins of his horse and debated on what he was going to do first. Try and find Desmond and Isabella, or find out why the army was taking land.

Running his hand down the bay's snout, he sighed. "So what do I do from here?" The horse nudged him in the shoulder. "I believe if I am about to get into trouble or stir it up, I should have some backup. I guess I am going to find them."

So he mounted up, following the road towards the nearest town.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

"You wanna what?" Desmond's voice carried around the room causing Isabella to rolled her eyes at him.

Gently running the brush through her locks, she did not look over at him. "I say we head back. Desmond, all this venture has done is get us shipwrecked, lost and nothing to show for it." She sighed and hung her head. "We need to just say screw it, and go back, regroup and wait until it comes to us."

"Isabella, we are so close. I can feel it." He sat down next to her on the bed, and sighed as well.

She laid her hand in his lap. "Des, we have been at this for a few weeks. There has been no sight of the chest, and we are hopelessly lost. Let's just cut out losses and head back."

"No. I told you I would find the Apple for you and I mean to keep my word." His jaw was set and she knew he was bound and determined to do this, and no matter of her talking would change his mind.

"Desmond." She shook her head, letting her hair fall over her shoulder and into her face. "You really don't have to. I... I think, not let me rephrase that, I know I will be fine. I once said that I wanted to go home more than anything, but I can wait a little longer."

His hand blushed her hair from her face and raised it to look at him. "Are you sure?" She nodded. "Then we'll head back when we get some horses. I don't know about you, but I don't want to walk all the way back to Monteriggioni. That is one hell of a walk."

She laughed. "The walk here wasn't all that fun either. I think my blisters had blisters."

They laughed together for a bit, just having fun until a crash out in the street made them raise their heads. Bolting to the window, they looked at the display in the street. Five armed guards stood around a figure that looked familiar.

"Is that Ezio?" Isabella asked as she squinted her eyes to try and see that man's face.

"I think it is." Desmond sounded as surprised as she was.

They didn't even think. Running out the door, down the stairs and out the front door of the inn, sure enough stood Ezio Auditore, sword poised to strike at any man that came close. Slipping in and out of the crowd that was gathering, Isabella followed Desmond's movements until she was close enough in strike range.

The sound of the hidden blade unsheathing was all the warning she had when she saw him strike out of the corner of her eye. Her blade entered the soldier's neck through the side before any of them knew they were there.

And the crowd began to scream. "Assassinos! Assassinos!"

All Isabella could do was shake her head as she withdrew the blade from the man's flesh. No it was three against three. Ezio looked over at them. "Good to see you two alive and well." He pulled his blade up to deflect a blow from one of the now attacking guardsmen.

"Well, what did you expect? We are harder to kill than the plague." Desmond dodged a close call with a sword.

Isabella rolled her eyes at the banter. Even in the middle of a fight, they still were jesting with one another. Men. Her, on the other hand, kept her eyes focused on the rather large brute in front of her, hell bent on making this her last day on earth. His sword poised to strike when she was not prepared, but she had another thing for him.

Falling to the ground, she rolled forward, narrowing avoiding the falling sword, and rammed her blade into his groin. She heard the sword drop to the ground as she rolled back to her feet. The guys had taken down the other two, and looked at her. "What?"

"Isabella, could you not have just stabbed him like we have done? You had to go for that area?" Ezio cocked his brow, before shaking his head.

She shrugged and wiped her blade off on the nearest dead body. "Eh." She smiled and pushed her hair out of her face. "What are you doing here? Figured you would be fighting the Templars in Venice still."

"I heard of the ship sinking and had to make sure you two were still on this earth. I take it you did not find what you set out to?" He followed behind the two of them as they made their way back to the inn.

"Nope. We were about to head back when you showed up." Desmond opened the door and she, along with Ezio walked into the room.

Once the door was shut, they took seats wherever they were available. Isabella grabbed her brush and began to fix her hair once more. She did not get a chance to get it put up before their unexpected small skirmish in the streets, so it was now worse than a rat's nest. "So, what are your plans now that you know we are alive?"

Ezio looked at them. "Well, I did run into something that may need to be taken care of before I head back, if you are willing to help?"

Both of them looked at him. "This should be interesting." Desmond leaned back in the chair he occupied.

And Ezio told what he knew, and she made her mind quickly. "If they believe that they have the right to take people's hard earned homes for some bullshit reason, I am all in. That is one thing that I hate. The higher power trying to take what they are not entitled to. I'm in." She looked at her time traveling companion. "Des?"

He shrugged. "I'm game."

Ezio smiled and clapped his hands together. "Excellent!"

And that was when she knew things for them were about to get bad if he was that excited about this.


	15. Chapter 15

**I want to start out that I'm sorry for the delay. I had severe case of writer's block. Honestly, I have been working on this chapter since I posted the last one. I just could not get it the way I liked it. I still don't care for it completely, but at least I finished it. Hope you like it. **

Ezio crouched near one of the tents on the outskirts of the small encampment just outside of the city. The guards were nowhere to be seen because of the falling rain, but he stood in it, trying to find out anything that he could about the men that were behind this sudden shift in power.

Lightning streaked through the sky and off in distance, he saw movement, and a flash of white, signaling that Desmond was listening into conversations as well. He had no clue as to where Isabella had sulked off to. After she suggested that she could seduce the guard captain, Desmond had just growled and told her no. She was not overly happy about it, but she followed the plan.

Rain soaked his clothing, making them heavy and he watched a few drops of liquid roll from the beak of the white hood and drop onto the saturated ground below his feet. If the rain kept up the downpour, all the roads would be flooded and so would the rivers. It may slow down the troops, but it would not stop them.

"So are we to move tomorrow?"

His ears perked up and Ezio hoped that all the time in the rain was well worth it. "It would seem. The commander told the last guard shift that we are to move out in the morning. Something about escorting some treasure from Roma. After that it is to be taken to Venice."

The first man sighed heavily. "I hate that march. Far too long and completely boring. No main cities until Roma, and after that, there is nothing really until Venice. I wish I had listened to my mother and became a farmer, or a fishermen, but no, I wanted to be a soldier."

A laugh. "There is nothing wrong with being a soldier."

Ezio figured that was all the information he was going to get from the men without them knowing he was there, so silently he slipped away, and found Desmond near the lieutenant's tent, a look of concentration on his face.

"Anything?" He asked the older man.

"Not really. The man is stuck on himself. Been polishing his armor for the last ten minutes, and talking to some guy about making sure the troops are ready for the move in the morning." He whispered. "This guy's about as exciting as watching grass grow."

The Italian assassin chuckled. "Well, at least I found out that they are marching in the morning. There has not been much talk. It seems that they are heading to Roma, then to Venice."

A look of concentration came over Desmond's face. Ezio raised a brow, but the other man held up his hand. "I need a minute to think."

"Want to clue me in?" he asked, but all the other assassin did was shake his head.

"I'm not sure, but if I remember right, the Apple went from Rome then to Venice where Rodrigo Borgia tried to take possession of it. I think that's what they may be transporting." Ezio watched Desmond tap his finger against his temple, then rub it.

"Are you sure?" He had to know if that was what they had. If they did, then they had to ambush them on the road, and take it. From everything that he had heard of it, it should not be in the hands of the Templars.

Desmond nodded. "I think so, but normally on things like this, I have support from Shaun looking things up for me, and giving me a history lesson. Unfortunately, I don't have him anymore, so all of this is from the memories that I do have."

Ezio was not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but at this time it was all he had to go on. "Then my friend, I hope that your memories ring true and we are not about to get ourselves killed for nothing." And that was the prayer that he sent heavenward.

Nodding ever so slightly, the Italian could tell the man was thinking the same thing. If this went south, then all three of them were dead. In the most painful way the Templars could think of. "Now we must find the third of our merry little band."

Doing a quick scan of the area wielded nothing. Nothing red stood out to either man, but Isabella was a trained assassin. If she did not want to be spotted, she would not be spotted. So looking around for her would not work so well.

"You two suck at hiding."

They spun on their heels to see Isabella sitting next to a tent not ten feet from them. Going over to her, Desmond growled at her. "Where the hell have you been? We were supposed to stay in eyesight of each other. There are too many soldiers and Templars in this area for one of us to be careless."

Her green eyes narrowed into slits. "I was getting some information, and I have it. If you get shitty with me one more time, Desmond, I swear by everything that is holy, I will find the Apple and leave your ass here until you die of old age or your luck runs out."

Ezio knew he had to put a stop to their bickering, less they be caught. "There is plenty of time for you two to argue later. Isabella," She looked up at him, "what have you found out?"

She cleared her throat. "They plan to move in the morning. Only half are going, but the other half are staying to guard this land. For what purpose, I didn't find out. Five men just rode out to the north, their bags light though, so you know they're not going far." Pushing her wet hood back, a few strands of hair fell into her face, which she ignored. "I would advise us to get the hell out of here before someone goes to see the commander. They are going to find his body, and send this little camp into lock-down relatively quickly."

Both men looked at her wide eyed. "You killed the commander?" Ezio asked. "I thought we agreed to not to kill anyone while we were here."

Holding up her hands, she looked both of them in the eye. "I didn't kill anyone. I found him that way. His body was already cold when I entered the tent. I would say he has been dead for a few hours at most. Someone in the camp killed him. Either another assassin is here, or someone that just didn't like him, and from what I heard around camp. Not many of the guys here did."

He had heard the same talk. The men did not like to be ran as they had been. Their gear old and used. The leather of their armor was beginning to crack and their weapons were beginning to dull from no smith was on base. The last one had been killed. There was much discontent in the camp. "Then I say we take our info, and run like hell back to town. We know they are leaving in the morning. We can follow from a safe distance, and find out if they have the Apple that way."

Isabella's brow quirked. "The Apple? It might be here?" Desmond nodded. "I don't think it is guys. I read almost every report that man had on his desk and none of them mentioned it, but they were supposed to meet up with another unit in three days outside of Rome. From there, they were heading into the city, get something and then it was off to Venice to meet up with someone they named 'The Spaniard'."

Ezio and Desmond looked at each other. "Rodrigo Borgia."

She smiled. "I guess you know who he is then. I have the letters in my pocket. You guys can read them when we get back, but I say we get moving like now." She pointed over Ezio's shoulder and he saw hat she was getting at. Four men in heavy armor moved towards the commander's tent.

"I must agree with Isabella. We must move and move now." He took off into the bordering woods, and vanished into the darkness with the other two hot on his heels.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

And so that night they slept in shifts. Desmond chose to take the first watch, making sure that the soldiers did not get wise as to where they were staying. They had moved to the other inn on the other side of the town since he and Isabella busted out the front door of the last one, and began to slaughter the guards in the streets with the populous looking on. That was not the best move that he had ever done, nor he knew, it would be the last time he did it.

He had read the correspondence letters to the commander. It seemed that they were to pick the chest up in Rome, take it to another group of soldiers and they would take it to Rodrigo. The problem with intercepting it on the road, and doing it now at this time was going to throw something off. When Ezio retrieved it from Rodrigo that was when he found out about the Brotherhood and a few of its members. If he was to take it back now, it would throw the time-line that he knew off and nothing would be right. What if he threw it off so much that Ezio never traveled to Masyaf in the future and never met Sofia. That was to never happen, then he would not exist and neither would Connor, Edward, or Haytham Kenway. So much was riding on getting this right, and not messing up things.

He knew he needed someone to talk to, and so he walked over to the side of the bed and gently shook Isabella's shoulder. "Hey wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. "Is it my turn for watch?" A yawn escaped her lips and she sat up.

Shaking his head, Desmond took a seat on the bed. "No, I need to talk to you."

Something in his tone must have alerted her to his mood because the weariness vanished from her face, and she met his eye. "What's wrong?"

Shaking his head, he looked at the floor. "What if something goes wrong? I mean, Ezio is not going to let the Apple just finish making it's journey to Venice. He is going to want to take it back to Monteriggioni. I'm terrified that if we change history too much, we are going to change him."

Isabella moved closer and her hand slid into his. With a light squeeze and her head resting on his shoulder, she spoke in a low voice as to not wake up the sleeping assassin. "So what do you want to do?" She asked softly.

He shrugged gently. "I don't know. I mean, the Apple may be our only chance to get back to our time, but if I change history too much, I may change it to the point I will never be born. Ezio has to meet Sofia in Constantinople. If he doesn't, then they will never marry, have children and the line that makes me will never be."

"Desmond," Her head came off his shoulder, and she turned his face to look at her. "if you think this will change everything, then I say we just watch from afar, waiting until the right moment. I already told you I can wait."

"But..." He started, but she cut him off with a slight glare.

"You are too damn paranoid. If you think that something'll go wrong, then we'll wait. That is the end of it. Now that you woke me up, you should get some sleep and I will take over. There is a book that is calling my name." Her expression softened and then gave him a light kiss on his cheek. "Get some sleep, Des, everything will look different in the morning."

He didn't want her to be burdened by the thoughts that ran through his head, but he couldn't tell any of this to Ezio. The man was stubborn and would do what he wanted to do. "Isabella, thank you." He gave her a small, grateful smile, which she returned.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for." Releasing his hand, she stood up, vacating the bed so he could lay down. "Now get some sleep."

Sleep did sound good. Although, he would rather lay next to her, because when he slept alone, it seemed the demons haunted his dreams, turning them into vivid nightmares of times long since forgotten. He knew it was Juno messing with him, but there was nothing he could do. So he laid down in the bed, pulling the thin blanket up to his chin, and drifted off into a restless sleep.

He thought he was asleep, but his eyes opened to another world and it was one that he knew well. The sounds of cars buzzed past the window of his rundown apartment that he rented in New York City. Horns blaring at all hours of the night I the city that never slept got old fast.

Rubbing his tired eyes, he looked around to see everything was where he had left it the night Abstergo too him. "Alright Juno, you can come out now." He called out, knowing she could hear him. Hell, it was her that was doing this.

She walked into the room, her raven hair falling around her shoulders. Her footfalls echoed in the room that he now sat in. Her smile was not kind, but that of a predator, and he knew from her that was not a good sign. "You do not agree to this setting either?" Her voice was that of a mother scolding a small child, but he knew better.

"No, I don't. I really wish you would just tell me what the hell you want from me." Running his hand over his head, he felt the threads of his hair run through his fingers. It was the length that he had taken to in Italy, not the short like it was in the modern times. "I am really getting sick of the nightmares and the cryptic words. I want you, for once, be straight with me."

Juno clicked her tongue and shook her head back and forth. "How do you know it is I that has been messing with your dreams, Desmond? I was not the one that sent you to the past. That was Minerva. It could be her that has been trying to send you a message."

"Oh would you cut the crap!" His feet connected with the hardwood floor and he stood. "Damn! You couldn't tell the truth to anyone, could you?" All he wanted was for them to get the hell out of his life! This was not what he wanted. He ran from the Farm to get out of this life, to not become an assassin, but the past always catches you and drags your ass down a dark well.

The scarlet lips drooped into a deep frown and her amber eyes bore into him. Anger flashed across her face. "You should be grateful that you still take breaths. I could kill you in your sleep, but I have refrained."

"She will not because she still needs you."

Both of them turned to see Minerva standing there, just as Desmond remembered her from the first encounter under the Vatican. Juno glared at her sister. "You have nothing here. I ask that you leave."

The phantom looking Minerva just shook her head. "I will not, Juno. He deserves to know the truth."

"You will do not such thing!" The first woman screamed. The mentioning of the truth had struck a nerve in her and intrigued Desmond greatly.

"Go ahead. I am dying to know." He looked from one woman to the other, and grinned as he saw Juno's eyes were slits and she stared at Minerva like she was trying to kill the other woman with her mind.

Turning to him, Minerva gave a slight smile. "This is your mind Desmond, you can banish her, if that is what you desire."

Giving a small wave at the intrusive woman. "Bye Juno!" And she left, but he knew that was not the last he would see from her. Now that they were alone, he took a seat back on the bed. "Now, do you want to fill me in on what the hell is going on in my crazy, messed up life that I have no clue as to what is going on?"

Covering her mouth, a small giggle escaped her. "You have a strange way of saying things, but I understand what you are saying. You want to know why I have sent you to the past."

"Well that would be a big help to know what the hell I have to do to get Isabella home." He was not all the hip on going back now that he knew that the crazy bitch was free and was damn near whole.

Silence greeted him for a moment. It seemed that the world was holding it's breath to hear what revelation she was about to lay on him. "You are special. You are the only one that could free her, but before she could take the whole spark from you, I saved you. Sent you to a place that she cannot harm you. Yes, she can us our machines to invade your dreams. Make you doubt yourself, but she cannot harm you where you are now." Gesturing to the room around them, she held her arms open wide. "This is some place you are familiar with. Somewhere that you knew well. From the time that her husband was killed, she had plotted and planned that she would seek revenge and rule all, but two people stopped her."

"Adam and Eve." He had learned of them from the memory Clay had buried in the Animus' hard drive.

She nodded her head, and the room around them changed. He sat in a chair in the Grand Temple, but it was when it was new. Workers walked to and fro. Servants dressed in garb that resembled Greek clothing, held trays of food and drink to any that might partake in a glass. "This was what she wanted. A world that she could be their queen. To rule on high and make them do her bidding, but she was bent on destruction too. The rest of us knew that was not the way to go, and so when the end came, so did we, but transferred what we could to this temple. The one Juno tried to kill you in."

Her sigh echoed off the walls and mixed in with the sounds of merriment that echoed through the halls. "Minerva, what does this have to do with me? Why was I picked?"

Beckoning him forwards, they walked side by side, no one looking at them. They were merely shadows of a time to come. "You are the convergence of many powerful bloodlines. You have the ability to stop her, but not alone. You will need allies and you will need a second person at your side. Someone that is feared by Juno almost as much as you are."

"She fears someone else?" His tone was surprised. That was news to him. He didn't think the woman feared anything, or anyone.

"You cannot be controlled. You do what you believe is right. Just as your ancestors have done so many times in the past. You are the key to stopping her, but without the help of the ancestor of Eve, you will never win." Stopping at the rail that overlooked the main chamber, her head lowered and he thought he heard a sigh. "You must find her."

He thought about what she had just said. He had to find a person that was most likely in his time. "How do I find her? I mean, she is in my time, correct?" She nodded. "And I am trapped in the Renaissance. How the hell am I supposed to find this woman and stop Juno then?"

A smile passed across her face. "You will figure something out. I have faith in you."

Desmond snorted. "Well I'm glad someone does." He mumbled. Shaking his head, he looked at her. "You wanna give me a hint on how I'm supposed to get back?"

Minerva chuckled. "You have always had the ability to return home, Desmond, you just never knew. Now it is time for you to awaken to a new day."

Cryptic as always. That was why he hated his life.


	16. Chapter 16

**I want to start off by saying thank you for all the great reviews and the new favs. It's always great to get up on here and see them. Everyone out there in cyberland, you are awesome. Second, if you find a few spelling mistakes, I'm sorry. I ended up with a virus on my computer and it messed up my writing software. I haven't had a chance to fix it all yet, but the good news is, I am getting a brand new computer hopefully this weekend. I should find out in the next few days if I have the funds for it. Now, on with the story.**

A cool breeze awoke Isabella the following morning. The stone beneath her back was hard and unforgiving. Stone? She fell asleep in the bed when she awoke Ezio for his shift. Her eyes flew open and she stared at the ceiling above her head. The cavern where it all began. But how? She laid there for a few minutes, trying to process anything that would come. Trying to figure out how in the world after so many years she had been brought home, but nothing would come.

Was Desmond brough back with her, or was she the only one with the desire to come back to a time where hell had been unleashed upon an unsuspecting world? The only way she would find that out was to get up and look.

Her body protested as she rolled onto her side and stifled a scream that threatened to tear from her throat. A pair of dead ice blue eyes stared out at her from a face she knew. Steven. Her friend and comrade from the team that brought her here to this place. His eyes had never been closed. A few tears fell from her eyes as she reached over with shaky hands, and gently pushed the lids down, covering his unseeing orbs. "Sleep in peace, my friend." She whispered into the still air around them.

Once she composed herself and gathered the last remains of her frazzled nerves, she pushed her body into a sitting position. The walls were the same, and so the only two things that ran through her mind was, was it real, or was this a dream? Isabella laid her hand over her face, and shook her head slowly. It was all so confusing, and distorting to say the least.

Was she the only one here? So, she forced herself to her feet and took in everything. The orb that started everything stood on its tall pillar, the light dancing off its surface, creating a prism of color around the room, but when her eyes swept the base, a sob threatened to choke her. Desmond laid there, still as the dead.

"Desmond?" She sobbed as her legs carried her over to where he lay. Once she was at his side, she fell to her knees. Her hand reached out and rested on his cheek, and the sob grew into something that sounded like a wounded animal at the feel of his icy skin. "No, no. Please be okay." The tears came down as rivers, threatening to drowned her. Shaking his shoulder, he still did not move. "You can't leave me like this. Please don't leave me." She choked out through the lump in her throat.

But she received no response. Nothing stirred around them, and at that moment in time, she would have given anything to be back in Italy, on that beach they washed up on. Near the fire they created and being held in his arms, feeling like there was nothing in the world but him and her. Nothing else mattered but the two of them. "Not like this. Don't leave me like this." Her voice was nothing more than a harsh whisper that echoed through the empty chamber. A tomb for the dead, and she was the only one there that drew a breath. It wasn't fair.

He still did not move, and so she laid on the hard ground, as close to him as she could, and cried. She wanted to go home, that she would not deny, but she wanted him to go with her. She would fight Juno at his side. The pain in her chest was unbearable and she wanted nothing more than to die right there. Why fight on when there was nothing left for her at the end?

And so she laid there and drifted into a turbulent, dreamless sleep.

*/*/*/*/*/*

Desmond looked down at Isabella, her face red from all the crying she had done. Ezio stood at his side, arms folded over his chest. "Did I just do the right thing? Or did I just destroy her?"

The Italian shrugged. "She loves you, Desmond. That is something you cannot deny, but you must choose to fix this, or fade away."

Then and there he knew that was not Ezio, but it was not Juno nor Minerva. "Tinia."

The man nodded. "Yes, but you must choose Desmond Miles. Now is the choice that has been left for you. It is not something someone can tell you how to proceed. You must decide that on your own."

He was not like the other two. He was something different. "I could take us back maybe. Stay there until I know I can manage it. I don't want to see her like this." And it broke what heart he had watching Isabella curled up next to his dead body. "I could make her think it was all a dream. A nightmare."

Tinia nodded once more. "If that is what you wish, but know this. You only delay the inevitable. One day you will have to return, and on that day, you will be forced to make this choice once more."

His brown eyes turned to the god-like man. "Will the Apple help at all?"

"You have always had the ability to return to your time." Letting his arms fall, he reached over and grabbed Desmond's arm. "I knew what Juno had in store for you before you entered this place. I gave you something that would allow you to avoid her trap all the way." And Tinia pushed up the sleeve of the hoodie. The skin on his right forearm shimmered from the golden lines that ran up his arm. "You are the one that can end all of this, but it is your own self doubt that stops you from being what you could be, and that would be the greatest of all of them."

The younger man watched the lines shimmer for a minute before they faded back into his skin. Meeting the man's eyes that wore his ancestor's face. "And how am I supposed to know that without some help? All you and Minerva tell me is that I know already what I need to know, but I don't. I don't know shit, and because I tried to do something that I was not ready to do, I had to sit here for the past hour and watch Isabella cry her heart out. I severely hurt her and that was not something I ever wanted to do."

Tinia took a step back, and shook his head. "I cannot provide you with all the answers you seek. You must discover some of them on your own. Minerva and I can guide you how we know, but it has been many years since we have had interaction with your ilk."

Throwing his hands up, he was beyond fed up with the whole situation. "You are beyond annoying. All three of you. First, the damn Apple fucks with Altair's life. Because of it finding him, he lost one of his sons, his wife and then he locks himself in a damn vault to die alone.

"Then it finds Ezio, who because of a chain of events that were set because of the Templars, who was put on the path to become a great assassin, but it was not the life he wanted. Granted, he went on to do wonderful things, but a normal life was taken from him." He growled and pulled the sleeve back down on his jacket. "Then let's talk about the Kenways. Connor and Haytham never got to know each other and then fell on the opposite sides of this damn war because of the 'treasure' that was supposed to be in this place. Son killed father because of that."

His breath came out in pants at that point because he was pissed. "You three have fucked with so many lives, and now we come to me. I wanted nothing to do with this. I ran and I ran far. Stayed away from mainstream America and worked under the table for everything. Took new identities and never made friends. The one time I fuck up, I am drug back into something that I didn't want. Hell, I just wanted a normal life when I was growing up. A father that loved me, and a mother with a bit of a backbone, but no, I was dealt the shit in of the stick because of the blood that runs through my veins."

"Desmond..." Tinia spoke, but the man in question cut him off.

"No, you are not going to silence me anymore. I am sick and tired of being your damn puppet. If Juno had killed me completely that day, what would have happened? And I want the truth."

A sigh escaped his lips and the façade melted away, leaving him standing there the way Desmond remembered him from the first time they had met. "You would have been destroyed, and she would have been instantly powerful enough to leave this place. Your world would burn from her rage, and there would have been no saving it. You have become the last person alive that stands a small chance in containing her fury and anger."

This was all too much for him. He did not want this. He just wanted a normal life, but as was it with his ancestors, he had no choice in the way his destiny started, but you had better be damn sure that he was not about to let them dictate on how it was going to end. If he was going to die, and he knew he would, but it would not be in the way they wanted him to. It would be in a time and place of his choosing. "If I have to go out, I want to be the way I want. So, if you think I am going to roll over and let you do what you want with me, you can bend over right now, and kiss my ass."

And with that being said, he walked over to where Isabella was asleep. Kneeling down he wanted so much to touch her, but the way he was now, he knew that was not going to happen. "I'm going to make this right, Isabella. When you wake up, it will all be a dream." And he closed his eyes and let himself be pulled into oblivion.

*/*/*/*/*/*

The next morning was something none of them looked forward to. Ezio open his eyes, realizing that he had doze off on guard duty and began to kick himself for his foolishness. They had told each other that if they were beginning to feel tired, they would wake another to talk to, but he had told himself that he could handle it. He could stay awake, but now that he had lied not only to himself, but to the other two assassins that were there with him, and for that, he felt like a fool.

His head turned to see the two he thought of curled up in the bed. Isabella looked like she had been crying, from the redness around her eyes and the blotchy look to her cheeks. Desmond, on the other hand, had a haunted look on his face and he held onto the woman like she was his lifeline to this world. He felt bad for what he was about to do, but if they were to follow the men today, they needed to get a move on.

Reaching over, he shook Desmond's leg, and even with the lightest touch, he nearly came flying out of the bed, hand reaching for the blade that rested on the small table to the right of the bed. Taking to his feet, he held up his hand. "Be calm, Desmond. It is only I."

A few deep uneasy breaths came from the man as he blinked a few times, as if not recognizing who stood before him. Isabella had taken to her knees on the bed and called out to him as well. Her words were in English. He did not know much and what he did know was nothing she was speaking. Ezio heard her call Desmond by name and touch his arm. Her voice was calm, but he could tell she was scared at his actions. He had seen the future assassin do this a few times, but it lasted only a moment or two, then he was fine. Not ever had he seen it to this degree.

Finally, after a few moments, Desmond's eyes began to blink and regain focus once more. Isabella exhaled, stood and wrapped her arms around his midsection. "Are you alright?"

Her answer was a mere nod and his arms coming around her. Ezio cleared his throat and they both looked at him. "I am sorry for startling you out of your dreams or nightmares."

"Sorry for flipping out on you. I haven't done that in awhile." His arms were still around Isabella, but his eyes were on Ezio. "Sometimes the dreams bring the flip outs."

Ezio knew of a few things that they had shared, but some they kept to themselves. Said they did not want to change the future any more than they have. So he did not press. If they would like to share, he was more than willing to listen, but if they did not, then so be it. "I believe we should get ready for the day." Both nodded their heads, released the other and began to dress. Deciding to give them some privacy, he stepped from the room, and walked down to secure two horses, since he had his already.

The stables were not far from the inn, and he shaded his eyes from the morning sun's rays. People mille in the streets even at such an early hour, but their steps were burdened. As if they carried something too heavy for their backs to bear. He despised to see his countrymen with such weights. He may have been raised in a privileged life, but it was not without its hardships. His father always made sure that his children knew that there were others out there that did not have what they did. They should be helped when able. So when he saw a rather older woman, her shoulders hunched from the load she carried, he walked in her direction, willing to offer a hand if she would allow him to assist.

"May I help you, madonna?" He asked, a small smile on his lips.

She looked up at him, her eyes giving away the weariness she was feeling. "I thank you, young man." She gave a grateful smile and ever so carefully, transferred her burden to his shoulders.

He bore it with little effort, and held out his arm to help her along. They made small talk as they walked down the street that was beginning to fill up with residents that were readied themselves fo the day ahead. She had the same story that he had heard. Her husband ha died in battle and it was up to her to raise three children. Her sons were taken for the military, leaving her and her daughter.

Once they reached her small home, she bid him farewell, and he walked back to what he was doing. It made him feel better when he helped out his fellow man. The world would be a better place if there were more people like him, but if that was the case, then he would no have to do what he did. He would have take lives of men that thought themselves above the others.

Shaking that from his head, he walked into the stables and heard his horse call out to him. Running his hand down the beast's muzzle, he whispered a few words to the animal before he gathered the tack and set to work on getting him ready for the long ride they had in front of them.

Once that was complete, he bought two more horses, a roan with a broad chest and long legs, perfect for running, and a black and white with an even temper and intelligent eyes. They looked like good mounts and would not scare easily. At least that was what he was hoping. Once the coins were counted and the tack placed upon their backs, he headed back to the inn to find Desmond and Isabella standing outside, the bags at their feet and what looked like a sack of food as well.

"We got tired of waiting on you and hit the market." Desmond gave him a lopsided grin, but there was something else that was behind the playful smirk. Something that had to do with what happened this morning, but again he was not going to pry.

"I have our mounts. I say we should get moving while the heat is still low." Ezio held out the reins. Isabella took the roan, and Desmond took the black and white.

The gear was stowed in the saddle bags, and the tack checked once more for caution, the three of them started out on their mission.

**I tried to fix everything that I could with the site's spell check, but I don't know if I got them all, so please bear with me as I work the bugs from my computer. Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. Until next time. **


	17. Chapter 17

They rode until the horses began to pant from exhaustion before the three assassins decided to take a break. The small contingent of men that were to meet with the chest carriers were at least an hour's ride ahead, and that was the distance they wanted to maintain until they drew closer to Rome herself. Ezio released the yawn that he had been holding now for a good few minutes. He did not want to admit it out loud that the ride, even at a slow pace, had tired him. Since he had become an assassin, he felt that he did not need to be in the saddle as much as he had. Carriages suited his travels well, and he could get caught up on some of the sleep that he had been missing.

Isabella laid on the ground, knees slightly bent and her green eyes watched the clouds overhead. Desmond, on the other hand, paced a distance away, his face twisted up into thought that he had not shared with anyone since they took off a fortnight ago. He had the same look in and out of the saddle and when asked what was in his mind, he would just brush the asker away like one would do to an annoying child, or fly. It had come to the point that the female and himself quit asking and let him pace.

Taking a seat next to the scarlet clad woman, Ezio yawned once more. A soft chuckle came from her lips. "Are you that tired, Ezio? I can't see how you are when all we have been doing today is riding." She moved her head slightly and looked at him, her eyes shined with the laughter she was keeping inside.

He merely just shook his head in response. "I cannot fathom how you have done it so far? You do not seem the least bit exhausted any time we have taken a short break from the saddle."

She smiled at him brightly, almost childlike. "I have been taking cat naps here and there. What you don't see is the rope I tie around the horn of the saddle to keep myself on it when I do doze off. At least I got lucky and have a horse that will follow yours. That would be bad if I woke up one time and I was heading for a cliff or one of you guys had to grab the horse before it took off."

That left him scratching his head in wonder. "You sleep sitting up?" She nodded once. "I cannot understand how you do that."

"Easy." Isabella sat up and gathered her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them to keep them together. "I just close my eyes and rest, but I don't fall asleep so deeply that I don't know what's going on. I learned to do that when I was going to college. That way my professor didn't know what I was doing. Reading or sleeping."

"You learn something new every day." He inclined his head and gave her a lopsided smile. "Now, may I ask another question?" She nodded. "What has happened to Desmond? He had been, how should I say, distant the last few days."

She looked over her shoulder at the man in question. "He has always been distant, but I know what you mean." Sighing, she rested her chin on her knees. "It all started with a dream we had before we left. I was back in that place. The one where it all started, but it was different. I was the only one alive. Desmond was dead and I didn't know what to do. I didn't want that. If I have to go back, I don't want him to die."

Ezio rested a hand on her and felt her shutter slightly from the light touch. "I know you do not want to see him go, Isabella, and I cannot believe I am about to say this, but maybe you are not meant to be in that time together? Is it possible that he is destined to die there and that is why he was sent here?"

Her head shot up and she stared at him for a moment, eyes wide. When she did speak, her voice was on the verge of tears. "I won't and will not let that happen. I don't care if I have to fight every Templar from here to Russia, I will not sit by and let that happen. If I have to stay back here and live the remainder of my life in a time not of my own for him to have a life that he wants, then that's what I'll do."

And he knew that she would, but she would miss everyone and everything that she had been taken from. "Isabella…" He started off, but the female assassin held up her hand.

"I'm done talking, alright." Unfurling her legs, she climbed to her feet and wandered over to where they had tethered the horses while they rested.

Turning his head slightly, he looked over at Desmond. His head was bent and if he looked hard enough, he could have sworn there were ruts forming in the ground where he had been walking back and forth. The only thing he knew to do was try and talk to him once more.

Standing, he stretched and walked over to where Desmond had stopped a moment. "Ezio." He was greeted as he made his way to the other man's side.

"You do speak. I was beginning to think that you had chosen the life of a monk. No speech." He grinned and clasped him on the shoulder.

Desmond just merely rolled his eyes and shook Ezio's hand from his shoulder. "What can I help you with?"

His body language came off as cold, and frankly that made the Italian a little mad. "You. I need help figuring you out." That got a reaction.

"What do you mean?" He cocked a brow and looked like he was completely puzzled. "I'm not that hard to figure out."

Ezio barked out a laughter. "You have not spoken to myself nor Isabella in two days. You have repeatedly brushed us off and went along talking to no one but yourself, and to tell you the truth my friend, it is worrying the both of us."

The sounds of the day greeted his ears as Desmond took in what he had said. He had not wanted to jump on him and tell him directly, but it was something that had to be done. If he could not figure it out on his own, someone had to tell him, and it fell to him.

"Look, I know you are just trying to look out for what's best, but this falls on my shoulders and mine alone. I'm the only one that can get us back. I'm the one that has to face Juno and stop her. I released her, and I have to do that." Desmond the lone wolf, strikes again.

Throwing his hands up in frustration, he growled. "You are the most impossible man to talk to."

A sideways grin spread across his face. "I have learned from the best in history."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

The next few days passed with little excitement. The three of them took turns riding up ahead to check on the men that they followed. It was uneventful and frankly, completely boring. As the sun began to set, Isabella found herself atop a ridge, on her stomach, watching the men set up their camp for the night. They were a few days outside of Rome and if she read everything correctly, they were would trading off the following morning. That was going to be the time to strike, but Desmond wanted to wait until they were in Venice to take it from them. Why, she had no clue, but she just went on what the guys said.

Pulling out the spy glass, she surveyed the camp and watched the men do their work, but something caught her gaze. So swinging it to look at the gathering cloud of dust that was being churned up on the roadway. Ten horses, their backs weighted down from the weight of their riders, came riding up onto the camp.

"Oh shit." She pulled the spy glass away from her eye, blinked, and then replaced it. The riders bore the sigil of the Borgia. What in the hell did these guys want? There was no way that the switch would happen tonight, but from what she could tell they didn't have a chest with them. They were armed to the teeth, yes, but they… Then it hit her. They were not there to deliver, they were there to kill, and there was no way she could get back to Ezio and Desmond in time.

"Shit, shit, shit." Isabella scrambled to her feet and to her horse. She was not equipped to take on fully armored soldiers. Sure, she could put a hurt on them, but they would eventually kill him.

Checking what she did have, her frown increased. On these runs, they took the minimum because they stayed so far away from the camps. Hell, she didn't even have her sword. All she had on her was a few throwing knives, her blades, and a dagger. Just freaking great.

"I gotta go back, and get the guys, but if I do, this will all be over." She laid her head on the saddle. If she stayed, there was a chance she could die, but if she went back, they would never know why this happened. So, making the choice, she slipped whatever she had on, and with all the stealth and years of training she had, she slipped down the hill and into the battle.

A few men came tumbling out of their tents as the horses thundered past. She rolled away from one horse that came too close to where she was, but it put her into the path of another armored man. He slid down from the horse, pulling his sword from the scabbard as he faced her.

"Ah, does my eyes deceive me or do these men have an assassin amongst them." She could hear the smile in his voice, his face hidden behind the large helmet he wore.

She did not reply back but watched him advance. His armor protected him from most sword blows, arrows, and the like, but if she could get in close enough, she stood a chance of piercing the armor at one of the joints. That was the only way to take one of these brutes down.

"The silent type. Very well. Let us be done with this fight." And he swung his sword, but his swings were hampered by the armor, so she had the upper hand on movement.

Rolling towards him, she came up on her feet at his side, and in a smooth motion, rammed the deadly blade into the small opening between the breastplate and the helm, right into the tender flesh of the neck. "Too slow asshole." She smirked, thinking she had this in the bag, but she never saw the second man until it was too late.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Desmond sat around the small fire they had, too many thoughts running through his mind. All of them bad and he didn't know what to do about any of them. Minerva and Tinia both said that he knew how to get them home, but damn it, he had not a damn clue as to how to accomplish that. Then the matter of the daughter of Eve. That was something he didn't even want to think about. Yeah, like his life was complicated enough, let's add another woman into the mix.

Speaking of women. He looked around their camp. She had not returned yet, and that on itself was strange. Ezio was leaned up against a log, chin rested on his chest, light snores coming from him ancestor, but no Isabella.

"Ezio." He called out the other man's name and watched him come alive.

"I didn't do it." The Italian sat up, looking around, and blinked a few times.

He couldn't help but laugh. "So what didn't you do, Ezio?"

Ezio looked up at him, eyes still slightly closed. "Huh?"

"You woke up saying you didn't do it. What didn't you do?" Desmond smiled and leaned forward.

"I have no idea what you are going on about, but it is good to see you smiling instead of the brooding look you have had for the last few days." He stood and stretched. "Is it my turn to stand watch?"

Desmond shook his head and let the smile slide from his face. "No, Isabella hasn't come back yet."

Letting his arms fall to his side, Ezio looked at him. "She should have been back by now. The agreement was that we would spend no more than one hour watching them and nothing after the sun set. She should have returned a little after dark."

"I'm going after her." Standing, he walked over to his pack and began to pull his equipment out and began to strap it on. While in their camp they never wore their weapons. Well not all of them. He always had a dagger or something on him. Call it his paranoia, or the mindset of Altair, but he always had a blade on him somewhere.

"I will join you. If there is trouble, you will need someone to watch your back." Ezio was right there beside him, tightening the leather straps to his bracers. "Besides, Isabella is my friend and I will not leave her to danger."

Giving him a grateful smile, the finished in record time. The good thing was they had not untacked the horses from their ride earlier, but even if they had he would have rode bareback. He didn't care at that point. Something was eating at him and he didn't like it.

So they saddled up, and rode off in the direction of the enemy camp, but what they came upon made their hearts drop and blood run cold. Men lay slaughtered on the landscape, their weapons barely used, and armor lay discarded.

Ezio slid from the saddle and picked up a breastplate. "They must have been caught off-guard. They did not even have time to don their armor."

Desmond's breath came out in short gasps. He was on the verge of a panic attack, and he knew it, and he should have never let her go off on her own. He should have gone with her, to make sure she was safe. Now he didn't even know if she was alive or dead. "Isabella!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, listening to his voice carry across the valley, but no response came.

Someone shook him, and he looked into the brown eyes that were so similar to his own. "Desmond! You must calm yourself. If you do not, we will not be able to find her."

He could hear the Italian's words, and he took a few deep breaths. If he lost his mind, he wouldn't be useful to anyone. "I'm…I'm fine."

"Good. Now we will find her. Even if we have to tear the whole camp apart, we will find her. Keep your guard up, and search the western end. I will begin on the eastern. Call if you find her or any trace." And he took off, leaving Desmond standing there.

He made his feet move. He didn't know how to handle this. This was why he didn't want to get involved with someone, anyone, because he was afraid of loss. Terrified that he would do what he did and have it all taken away. That was what happened when he started to allow himself to like Lucy as more than the person that busted him out of Abstergo. Was he destined to live out the remainder of his life alone?

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he began to check the corpses that littered the ground. All of them were the soldiers that they had been following, but none of them were Isabella, and that gave him a small amount of comfort.

"Desmond!" He heard his name called out, and rushed over to where he had heard Ezio call for him.

"Where are you?" He asked as he came around some tents but did not see anyone, or anything but soldiers' bodies.

"Over here." The Italian's disembodied voice came from a tent to his right. He poked his head out. "Found her."

He breathed a sigh of relief and walked over there. "How is she?"

"Breathing, but…she's not in the greatest shape." He looked at the ground.

Pushing him out of the way, Desmond walked in the tent to see something that he did not want to ever see. "Isabella." He dropped to the ground next to her, and she looked up at him, tears coming from her green eyes. Dirt smeared across her face with blood mixed in. "Why didn't you come back?"

She smiled slightly, but he could tell she was in a lot of pain. "I had to do something. The men that attacked were the Borgia's men." She hissed in pain as she moved. "I had to find out why… why they attacked their own men."

Blood seeped from a wound in her side, and mixed with the dirt that was under her turning the ground a sickly shade of burgundy. "Fuck all that. You should have come back. I don't give a damn about that piece of Eden."

"They had to be stopped. They have to be stopped." Her eyes closed, and then reopened. "I know you guys can do it. I have faith in…" Her words trailed off as her eyes closed.

His hands shook, and Ezio's hand shot out, feeling around on her neck for a pulse. "She's still alive, but if don't get her to a doctor soon, she will not live past this night."

He would not lose her now. Not after everything they had been through. He promised to get her home and he would live up to that promise. "How far are we from Rome? I know they have a doctor there."

Ezio did a few calculations. "At least an hour's ride, if not more, but I fear she may not make the ride. The wound is deep and she has already lost much blood. If we were to bind the wound, she may make it, but Desmond, I do not know."

"Then we need to get to it. I'm not going to watch her die. I can't do it again." He swatted a stray tear away. He was not about to let another woman he cared about die. Not here, not now, not ever again.

**I am such a horrible person. I have been working on this chapter for like two weeks. A few sentences here, a few there. It just would not hit me all at one time. It was kind of like my other story. I have been having issues on that. Overload I guess. Well I am back into the swing of things and my head is on straight, so I am aiming for a weekly update again. **

***Sassiersphinx***


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